Light In The Darkness
by Eye of Sincerity
Summary: Gaara Subaku, a somewhat troubled 18-year-old, starts college to pass the time and avoid work, lacking any motivation in life. Upon meeting his new roommate, Naruto Uzumaki, he realizes that any hope of getting through college peacefully has gone and he's forced to step out of his comfort zone on a journey to find his motivation and his heart. NaruxGaara AU
1. The Meeting

**A/N:**** Well, this is my first story with any pairing other than KibaNaru (check out my other stories if you enjoy the pairing) but I decided to try another pairing I enjoy very much.**

**The idea for the story isn't exactly unique or original- quite cliché actually- but I'm sure you'll find something within the story which sets it apart and makes it unique. I wanted a realistic plot with its own twists as I approached a new pairing.**

**As a warning, this story will feature mature content in future chapters and a warning for anything will be put up at the beginning of each chapter. Naruto is the seme and Gaara is the uke in this story but don't expect any stereotype to their relationship. No girly bottoms here!**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this first chapter. Please let me know what you think via the reviews!**

**Warnings: Strong language**

* * *

**The Meeting**

"You sure this is everything? I'm still worried we left something back at home."

"You're always worrying about something or other, just shut up and help me carry these boxes."

"My arms may be full but I can still kick your ass, Kankuro!"

"Bring it on! It's not like when we were kids, I'm a man now!"

"A man? Yeah, right."

"Got something to say, Temari?"

The long-suffering young man, caught in the middle of his two bickering siblings, merely sighed in both annoyance and boredom. Perhaps this would affect him more if he weren't so used to it by now. His brother and sister usually got on rather well, except when forced to work together on something. Co-operation wasn't a familiar thing in the Subaku household.

"Let's just hurry and find my room," the teen muttered out, avoiding eye contact with either of them, as he strolled towards the building. It had been a considerably long journey and calling him exhausted would be an understatement worthy of a smack round the head.

"Sure thing, Gaara." Temari said, smiling sweetly at her baby brother. "Best to get you all settled before your roommate shows up." The three of them, together, started heading inside, carrying one box filled with possessions each.

"Still can't imagine you roomin' with anyone, lil' bro." Kankuro added, shaking his head at the thought. "You won't even let Temari or me into your room at home."

"That's the price for a college dorm. Just hope you don't get a slob."

"Yeah…as long as he doesn't get in the way then co-existing shouldn't be too difficult." He muttered, eyes surveying the campus, trying to deduce which moron he'd have to put up with.

"It ain't gonna easy-going and quiet, bro. This is college- reality check."

"What Kankuro is _trying_ to say," Temari snapped, scowling at the brunette coldly. "is that it's gonna take some adjusting."

"Which may be tough, giving…that you…don't…adjust well…" Kankuro said slowly, trying to work out the best words as he went along. He was well aware by the end of the sentence that he had failed miserably but treading carefully with Gaara wasn't exactly the easiest thing in the world. The glare he received from his brother was proof of that.

* * *

Gaara Subaku was an 18-year-old boy from Sunagakure, just about to start his first year of college. Many would describe Gaara as odd, antisocial, a loner and downright scary- but those were all judgements made as a result of first glances. No one had really gotten to know him before and, in a way, that had made things easier. Now, don't misunderstand, Gaara had had friends in the past- even romantic partners! But his tendency to shut them out when it came to his emotions often caused a rift to form and they all, sooner or later, faded away. The only ones who stuck at it were his siblings and he truly did appreciate them for it. Kankuro and Temari put up with a lot of shit from their younger brother, but they never gave up on him. He just wished he could find others like that.

Now, onto his appearance.

Gaara was rather short for his age, reaching just over 5'5, as a result of being born prematurely (though he never discussed the story behind that with anyone) and often felt small compared to others around him. His skin was fair, rather pale, and smooth to the touch- a former partner had compared him to a porcelain doll once…that relationship didn't last too long. He had auburn hair (a shade bordering on red) cut into an array of short, straight spikes and teal eyes with rather pale- almost invisible- pupils. His eyes themselves had dark circles beneath them, as a direct result of his insomnia. Some often mistook him for wearing makeup.

The strangest thing about the young man's appearance was the blood-red tattoo plastered on the left side of his forehead- revealed by his side parting. The tattoo depicted the kanji symbol for 'love.' He'd gotten it done at the age of 15, when going through a particularly troubling and rebellious stage in his life. Everyone had really been shocked by that. But, even now, Gaara didn't regret it in the slightest. Love was the thing he felt he both lacked and desired most.

* * *

"This is it," Temari said, snapping her little brother out of his thoughts. Gaara looked up at the, rather unimpressive, door and scowled. This place was terrible. Now pulled out of his deep thoughts, he could fully hear the loud voices, laughter, giggling and other noises young people made echoing through the hallways. Any chance of silence had gone. This was his life now. All of a sudden he was regretting applying for college. He should have skipped it and gone straight into work like both of his siblings but Gaara was an expert at procrastination. College was just an excuse so Temari wouldn't force him to get a job before he was ready- if he ever would be. He lacked any form of motivation.

Pushing the door open, the three of them made their way inside Gaara's new 'home'.

"Not too shabby, eh, Gaara?" Kankuro piped up, hoping to encourage his little brother some. And, in all honesty, the place wasn't too bad. The room had a rather large main room- consisting of the kitchen, living area and the beds- as well as a door presumably leading to the bathroom. It was actually kinda cosy. In fact, it would be perfect for Gaara…if he didn't have to share it…

"OW!"

All three siblings jumped suddenly at the shout, Kankuro almost dropping the box he was carrying, and swerved round to stare in the direction of the yell. They weren't the first ones in the room after all- evident by the figure crouched over by one of the beds, rubbing the back of his head soothingly.

"Goddamn it! What the hell are these beds made out of?!" The figure hissed, slowly clambering up onto his feet.

"This is your new roommate?" Temari whispered under her breath, staring at the stranger.

"I'm not one to focus on first impressions but, dude, seriously?" Kankuro muttered back, cocking an eyebrow as the figure approached them.

This was gonna be a long day…

"Sorry about that," the stranger mumbled. "I was dumping my stuff under the bed and you guys made me jump- smacked my head on the bed." He explained bluntly, offering up a smile. It was then that Gaara decided to observe him and try and come up with an analysis- to judge how difficult it was gonna be to live together.

He had to admit…he was taken aback.

His roommate was taller than him and larger in general. He was obviously into some sport or another as his build consisted of lean and well-sculpted muscle (from what could be seen) covered by tanned skin. He was donning a pair of plain cargo shorts and a sleeveless top- either purposely making the most of his physique or just throwing on lazy-day clothes. He had bright, blonde hair arranged into much longer and messier spikes than Gaara's own and the deepest, bluest eyes anyone has ever seen. Gaara didn't give a damn who you were or who you knew- there's no way you've ever met anyone with eyes like these.

"No worries, man." Kankuro spoke up, placing the box he was holding on the floor carefully. "Didn't mean to barge in, didn't think anyone was here yet."

"Yeah, got here pretty early- lucky me, huh?" He grinned widely, showing off a wonderful smile which would attract any woman…except maybe Temari, whose fussiness and wariness betrayed her. "So, you my new roomie?" He asked, still staring into Kankuro's face. Gaara cringed…he _loathed_ eye contact and it was obvious this new roommate of his sought it out.

"Nah, not me."

"So then…" The stranger's eyes moved over to Temari, lighting up at the sight of her as his smile widened. "No way, they've put me with a chick?!"

…

It was at that moment that one could easily tell Temari and Gaara were related. The glare she gave this moron rivalled even her little brother's and was enough to scare the life out of the blonde.

"W-what?"

"Dude, use ya head. This is your roommate." Kankuro cut in, seeing his sister bubbling up inside, waving a hand towards his younger brother.

"Oh." And _finally_ Gaara was noticed. He knew he was a little short but failing to see him when he was right there was ridiculous! But still the stranger stared at him, brow furrowed slightly as his eyes darted to the tattoo. His smile faltered for a moment before making its comeback. "Hey there!" He shouted happily, extending a hand. "Sorry 'bout all the confusion, I'm not that observant."

'_No shit.'_ Gaara thought to himself, glaring at his roommate's hand impatiently- trying to convey the point that he couldn't exchange a handshake while holding a box. The blonde eventually got it, mouth forming into an 'o' as he retracted his hand.

"Hold on, lemme just help ya." And with that Gaara was relieved of the box's weight as the, surprisingly helpful, blonde took it for him.

"Thanks." He muttered bluntly, watching him carry it over and dump it on one of the beds. He really had to share with this guy? Kill him now…

"I'm Naruto, by the way." He said, rushing over to extend his hand again.

'_He doesn't give up…Naruto, huh?'_

"Gaara," he offered back, taking the hand. He desperately avoided eye contact but he could feel _Naruto's_ eyes on him, studying him. He hated it. Not to mention the physical contact. Sure, it felt nice to slip his hand into Naruto's own, but that didn't mean he approved of it being forced. So he was quick about it, giving a curt shake and pulling his hand away- no prolonging, no unintentional signs that he wanted to be friends. The blonde noticed…Gaara knew he did.

"Gaara," Naruto repeated, rolling it off his tongue experimentally. "Nice to meet ya!" He grinned again, practically radiating optimism and positivity…

'_We're not gonna get on.' _Gaara surmised, finishing his analysis at that instant.

"You need any help with any more stuff?" The blonde offered, glancing at the three siblings.

"Nah, that's all we've got." Kankuro said, keeping his eye on his little brother in case things weren't going well. If Gaara truly was pissed, he was hiding it well. "We best head off and leave you to it, lil' bro."

"Yeah, thanks for the help."

"Not a problem. Call us if you need anything," clapping his hand on his brother's shoulder, Kankuro offered an encouraging smile, knowing how hopeless it was. Gaara sharing a room with this idiot? Not gonna work. Kankuro guessed it would go smoothly for about two days- no more.

"Bye, Gaara. I love you." Temari said, pulling the reluctant teen into a tight hug.

It took a few minutes for the goodbyes to finish and for his siblings to leave but, finally, Gaara was left alone at last. Well…almost alone. There was the problem now known as 'Naruto'.

"They seem nice," said blonde said, smiling fondly. "Wish I had siblings."

'_He's trying to start up conversation…not interested…'_

"Hm." The red-haired teen hummed in response, heading toward the box Naruto had taken for him. He could tell his roommate was bothered by his lack of response and slightly uncomfortable ,but tough. If he truly planned on sharing a room with Gaara, he better get used to the awkwardness and silence. Gaara wasn't about to pretend to be something he wasn't and leave Naruto confused later on down the road when that front was dropped. But still, Naruto persisted. He followed Gaara over to the bed, that goofy smile remaining on his face.

"I already chose my bed, hope you don't mind. There's not much difference, I just like sleeping near the wall." The blonde explained, sitting down on his chosen bed and bouncing experimentally. "Not bad. Should do the job, huh?"

"Hm." Gaara hummed again, opening up the first moving box to begin sorting his belongings. Naruto's watchful gaze was really starting to get to him.

"Need any help unpacking?"

"No." The redhead muttered sharply. The thought of someone else going through and sorting his own personal possessions irked him. He was a very private person- not that he had much to hide- and opening his world up to this weirdo was the last thing he wanted, despite Naruto's good intentions.

"You don't talk much, huh?" The blonde asked curiously.

'_No shit.'_ Gaara thought, for the second time since meeting his roommate. He was stood with his back to the other, trying to avoid looking at him at all. But it was hard to ignore such a persistent and talkative guy. Was this how it was gonna be from now on? Or would Naruto give up soon?

"I like silence."

"You're screwed then!" Naruto shouted, chuckling childishly. Gaara glanced over his shoulder briefly, shooting the blonde a quick glare to shut him up.

"So…" Naruto began. "What's your last name? Mine's Uzumaki!"

'_Naruto…Uzumaki…?'_ Gaara repeated, wondering why it sounded so right.

"Subaku."

"Gaara Subaku? That suits you." The blonde said, a little too enthusiastically. God, he really was a positive bundle of energy. Not get on? At this rate Gaara would end up killing him for the sake of some peace.

"How old are you?"

"What's with all the questions?" The boy snapped, looking over his shoulder again. He instantly regretted it once his eyes laid sights on the adorable, curious and slightly hurt face of the damn guy. It instantly became clear why Naruto hadn't been killed for his annoying personality- that face could melt anyone's heart…except Gaara's.

"Well…we're rooming together so…I just wanted to get to know you…" He said innocently, sticking his bottom lip out in a pout that could easily rival a 5-year-old's. Was he goddamn serious?

"You're telling me that you genuinely care? That this isn't just the pleasantries to try and make me think you're a polite and caring guy when, in actuality, you're just sizing me up to determine if I'm a potential threat to your dominance?" Gaara shot at him, determined not to falter in the face of that cursed pout. Either this guy was truly innocent and childish, or hugely manipulative and devious. Unfortunately, the redhead suspected the former.

For now, however, Naruto just stared at him with wide and shocked eyes- clearly taken aback.

'_Yeah, that's right you bastard. I know you're game. Shocks you when someone figure it o-'_

"For someone who doesn't talk much, that was a lot of words." Naruto said, that smile returning. That knocked Gaara off his pedestal. He thought he'd gotten one up on this guy, exerted his dominance in this living situation, but his comment had only shocked Naruto because of the amount of words he used…

'_Touché, Uzumaki. Touché.'_

"Anyway, hold old are you?" The blonde asked again, undeterred by his roommate's short outburst. Sighing in slight defeat, though still not willing to yield, he answered.

"Eighteen." The boy responded coldly, deciding to get it over with.

"Ah, cool. I'm nineteen."

'_A year older? Like that'll help you in this tug-of-war of dominance. Stop looking so pleased with yourself.'_ Gaara thought to himself, scowling at the older teen's wide grin. Damn, he was immature.

"So what course are you taking? Or are you on more than one?"

Gaara inwardly groaned as he proceeded to empty the box's contents and place them under the bend in the most organised manner possible. This conversation was getting tedious but remaining silent wasn't an option with this guy; he was far too persistent and possessed some motivation Gaara had lacked all his life. They were complete opposites and they certainly did _not_ attract.

"I'm doing Philosophy to start off with, may switch to a course involving Social Care later on- depending on how it goes." The redhead explained. "Why would you think I was doing more than one so early on?" Gaara instantly slapped himself mentally, realizing he had asked a question and thus truly contributed to the conversation.

"I dunno, you just look like the intelligent kind so I guessed you might have applied for more than one." Naruto said thoughtfully, instantly snatching Gaara's attention. That sounded like a genuine compliment…not something someone did while demonstrating dominance. Now Gaara was intrigued. Getting out from under the bed, he plopped onto the mattress, across from Naruto, and stared directly at him.

"Thanks, I guess." He mumbled, trying to work out if this guy was genuine without looking into his eyes. He couldn't bare eye contact. "What course are you on?"

"I'm doing an advanced Sports and Fitness Training course." He said with a grin. So Gaara had been right- he was a fitness fanatic.

"Two courses or all one?"

"It's all one." Naruto replied, somewhat relieved and happy that he was actually getting a decent response. Having confirmed that this wasn't a typical battle for control, Gaara found himself willing to dabble in small talk- as long as it didn't become a regular thing. Yeah, he was so lacking in willpower that his mind tended to change quickly. "You got an interest in a course to do with Social Care? Where does that come from?"

…

Gaara tensed, unsure how to answer without revealing anything personal.

"I…I would like to help kids going through the system." That was a pretty good response- revealed nothing personal or his true motivation, just short and sweet. Naruto, however, was staring at him with a whole new look. Still avoiding the guy's eyes, Gaara could still tell that his answer had changed Naruto's opinion of him.

"That's…really nice, Gaara."

"Hm." He resorted to humming once more.

"I mean it. I…I've been through the system so…"

'_Okay, that's enough.'_ With that, Gaara was up again, returning to his unpacking quickly. The conversation was getting too personal now. Exchanging basic details about one another concerning age, courses, etc. was fine but there would be _no_ discussing of past, _no_ soppy moments, _no_ opening up. They were _not_ friends. Just roommates. Nothing more. Gaara didn't want to hear a backstory.

Behind him, the redhead could hear a heavy sigh and could tell Naruto was feeling angry with himself for overstepping the mark. There was a moment when his heartstrings quivered and he felt bad for making the blonde feel bad- if that made sense. But Gaara wasn't about to apologize for being himself or upholding his own morals and standards. No one was gonna guilt trip him out of being simply 'Gaara'.

"Hey…I didn't mean-"

"Yo, Naruto!" A sudden voice interrupted the blonde, acting as Gaara's saving grace. "We got a game going on downstairs and I'm down a man. I am not losing to Sasuke so get your ass down right now!"

"Erm, Kiba, I was just helping my roomie settle," Naruto began, eyes glancing between his brunette friend at the doorway and the redhead he'd just met.

"Go." Gaara said immediately, not even glancing Naruto's way. Right now, the thought of having the charismatic blonde out of his way sounded heavenly. He just wanted to unpack in peace- without distraction.

"Alright! C'mon, Naruto!" The 'Kiba' yelled, sprinting off down the hallway quickly. His departure was followed by a terribly tense and awkward silence.

"So…er…you alright by yourself."

"Yeah, go." Gaara said bluntly.

"O-okay. I'll see you later then." And with that, Naruto headed out the door without a single look from his new roommate. His final statement only reminded Gaara that this wasn't their final farewell and he would definitely have to continue dealing with the sociable blonde in the future- most likely on a regular basis.

Sighing heavily, Gaara pinched the bridge of his nose.

He'd wanted to unpack without distraction but Naruto was distracting him…even when absent.

His mind was going through all the facts and information he'd gathered about his roommate over and over and it was getting the way of any useful thought.

-Naruto Uzumaki

-19-years-old

-Doing a Sports and Fitness Training Course

-Didn't have siblings

-Had been through the system

-Was exceedingly good-looking

Now, that final point shouldn't raise suspicion. Gaara wasn't lusting after his new roommate, or even slightly interested in him. Yes, Gaara was gay but he considered himself asexual- Kankuro called it his excuse for being a virgin. He didn't feel strong feelings of arousal or attraction to any fit-looking, hot guy who smiled his way and asked a few questions. Naruto was fucking hot, but it took more than looks to get Gaara's interest.

Besides, the question of whether Naruto was gay or not had already been answered. The way the blonde had looked at Temari, the way his smile had changed and his eyes had flashed when he thought she was his roommate proved he was straight. More than straight- excited by the thought of sharing a room with a girl he'd just met. He hadn't even noticed Gaara at first, not that Gaara considered himself all that attractive. In fact, why he was even considering the idea was nonsensical.

'_This guy is really gonna get on my nerves…'_

* * *

"You think Gaara's gonna be okay?" Kankuro asked worriedly, already a little way from the college. "I mean, he's not exactly gonna enjoy college life but, will he actually be okay?"

"He'll be fine, he'll just get pissed off a lot." Temari assured, resting her head against the glass. She was tired and it was quite a way back to Sunagakure.

"What about that roommate of his? What did you think of him?"

"He was hot." The woman mumbled, earning an amused look from her brother. If she wasn't tired she would have hit him for that expression but for now, she tolerated it. "He may have been a bit dim but you can't deny he was hot, Kankuro."

"Whatever." He said, rolling his eyes. "I meant how do you think him and Gaara will get on?"

"Oh," she smiled slightly. "Gaara's gonna kill him- three days tops."

"I'm betting two."

"How much?" Kankuro smirked at the thought of a bet he might win.

"30?"

"You're on." The two shook hands tiredly, not bothered by the fact that they were betting on whether or not their baby brother would be committing murder soon. But that was just how the Subaku family were- always seeking a way to pass the time and find meaning in day-to-day life.

Gaara was no different…

* * *

**A/N:**** Well, that was the first chapter.**

**I hope you enjoyed and I'd like to read any comments, criticism, suggestions or praise would be much appreciated so please leave a review. **

**Thanks in advance :)**


	2. The First Night

**A/N:**** Thank you for your reviews of the first chapter, much appreciated. I'm glad this story has sparked some interest.**

**Now, a handful of secondary characters are introduced this chapter (Kiba, etc.) They won't be playing a huge role, just help provide more depth to the storyline. But the story will always be focusing on either Naruto, Gaara, or both of them at once.**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter, make sure to let me know what you thought. **

**Warnings: Strong language**

* * *

**The First Night**

Naruto stretched, sighing out loud as his shoulder made a satisfying crack and all the knots came undone. Man, did that feel better! His shoulders had been very tense earlier on, during his meeting with his new roommate, and playing a game of basketball with his friends hadn't quite gotten all the tension out. Nonetheless, he was glad Kiba had rushed up to drag him into the game. Not only did it provide him with the perfect excuse to bail out of the awkward situation he'd been stuck in earlier, but he never once failed to enjoy a fair game between friends. This one had been no different. The fact his team had won (much to do with his help) only added to his joy.

"Just admit it," Kiba yelled teasingly. "You got thrashed, Uchiha!"

"If you hadn't gone and gotten the dobe, you would have been crushed and you know it." Sasuke snapped back, glaring coldly. Sasuke Uchiha- a fair-skinned, black-haired teen who had all the girls after him because of his good looks and cool attitude. Despite finding relationships a chore and often ignoring the advances of his admirers, Naruto knew the Uchiha secretly revelled in the attention. Sasuke wasn't the typical jock type- his flawless appearance suggesting he'd avoid that kind of thing- but he never passed on an opportunity to demonstrate his superiority to his peers. Therefore, the rare times Naruto actually beat him in something were so damn satisfying.

"Maybe if you were willing to have Naruto on your team you'd win more often." Kiba Inuzuka- possessing a similar build to his blonde friend, covered by olive skin and topped with a head of brunette spikes, along with a tribal tattoo on each cheek- was what most would refer to as a 'player'. He wasn't a jerk or anything, though he often came across that way, he just tended to do better in short-term relationships or quick screws than in anything serious.

"No way. The dobe's _your_ problem."

"Don't get upset just 'cause I beat you!" Naruto teased, punching his black-haired friend in the arm. His grin never left his tanned face.

"Hmph."

"Aw, don't give me the silent treatment," the blonde whined. "Seriously, I'm already getting that from my new roommate!"

"Speaking of which, how is the new guy?" Another black-haired guy asked lazily, walking over to join them. Shikamaru Nara- the laziest guy you could ever meet. He never joined in with any sports games simply due to his preference to sleep and watch clouds. His eyes often expressed his tiredness and his hair was pulled into a ponytail simply because of how easy it was to do in the morning. But he was a cool guy nonetheless.

"Yeah, I only got a brief look but he creeped me out." Kiba said, pulling his shirt off to soak the sweat off of his face.

"Ah he's not that bad, Kiba." The blonde said, still not entirely convinced himself as to just how nice a guy Gaara was. "He's just not that good at socialising, that's all. I think he might just be shy."

"Don't shy people normally try and blend in? That dude has a fucking tattoo on his forehead!" The brunette shouted, chuckling slightly at the memory.

"Seriously? Coming from the dude with tattoos on his face." Sasuke shot at him slyly.

"Shuddup! You didn't see this guy though! His tattoo was actually creepy as fuck!"

"That right?" Shikamaru asked, rubbing the back of neck lazily. "You sure he isn't some kind of psycho?"

"From what Kiba told me, he does sound like the serial killer type. As in the kind who kills people then rapes the corpses just for the laughs." Sasuke, unhelpfully, added. Naruto just pouted, looking between his three best friends with disappointment etched onto his face.

"Guys, stop being so harsh. I'm sure Gaara is alright, he just needs to get to know me."

"You planning on making new friends? What's wrong with us?!" Kiba joked, hitting the blonde over the head with his sweat-drenched shirt. Chuckling at his own childish act, the brunette poked him in the chest accusingly.

"Well…you did just call my roommate a psycho without getting to know him. Besides, I'm gonna have to live with the guy so I may as well try and get on with him." Naruto shrugged it off as no big deal, gulping down some water from Sasuke's bottle- earning him a death glare of doom from the Uchiha.

"I just wish we could swap around so you and I could room together." Kiba groaned. "But I'd never kick Shikamaru out. Maybe you can move in with both of us? It's not like they actually check if we stick to the living arrangements."

"That's actually not a bad idea, Naruto." Shikamaru added, yawning ever so slightly. "This guy doesn't like socialising, right? Well then it's a win-win. You get to room with us and he gets a room all to himself. I don't see a downside here."

"I dunno guys," The blonde mumbled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head with a nervous chuckle. "I'd feel too bad for ditching the guy."

"You're such an idiot." Sasuke said, shaking his head in disapproval. "And your idiocy will continue to be your downfall."

"Being nice doesn't make me an idiot, Sasuke." Naruto said, pouting again. But, by now he knew all too well that his pout had no effect on his cold-hearted friend.

"Just make sure your niceness isn't wasted on this guy," Kiba cut in. "Don't put in any more effort than necessary, just in case he throws it back in your face."

"That's right. You guys are just rooming together, you don't have to like him." Shikamaru mumbled, immediately gaining Kiba's attention.

"Wait…you like me, right?"

"Ugh, you're such a girl!"

"I thought we were friends, Shika!"

"Don't call me that, dog breath!"

"Oh, real mature!"

Naruto sighed, the sound of his bickering friends fading into the background as his thoughts focused on the rather antisocial guy back in his room. Gaara would be a challenge, no doubt about that, but Naruto was determined to get on the redhead's good side. The young man loved making new friends and there was something interesting about Gaara- whether it be that tattoo or his cold personality, or maybe the way he had accidentally shown a caring side when talking about helping out kids in the system. Naruto just felt starved for information, like there was a really engaging story waiting to be uncovered. Gaara had built up a wall around his emotions- that much was clear. After years going through the system, moving from foster home to foster home, Naruto had dealt with people vaguely similar to Gaara but none anywhere near as interesting.

The boy was too secretive and private…Naruto didn't like that. He'd find a way to tear down those walls one way or another. He was gonna be Gaara's friend, no matter what!

With newfound determination, Naruto gave his friends a quick goodbye before heading back to his dorm room again. By now Gaara was probably done unpacking so he might be a little more relaxed and willing to talk. It was a long shot but Naruto was still hopeful. That was, until he was stopped by a voice no one dared ignore.

"Naruto, just a sec." Stopping in his tracks instantly, the blonde swivelled round with a grin plastered on his goofy face. That smooth, elegant voice could only possibly belong to one person and that very person came into sight the moment he turned. There she was.

"Hey, Ino," he said with a smile. "What's up?"

Ino Yamanaka- one of the hottest girls you could ever possibly meet. She turned heads wherever she went and did so with dignity too. You'd never catch Ino in skimpy or slutty clothing or trying to attract the kind of attention a few girls their age desperately went after. She didn't sleep around, nor did she give stupid guys who only thought with their dicks the time of day. She wasn't just a pretty face- she had brains and smarts. That's what made her so desirable- as well as her perfect figure, long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes.

"Was hoping I could catch you. You're definitely on for tonight, right?"

"Yeah, of course!" The blonde grinned. Naruto and a group of friends were heading out for a meal (no drinking tonight), as they tended to do at least once a month together. Some bonding experience or something. But it was nice to sometimes just go out as friends without the influence of alcohol. "Wouldn't miss it for the world!"

"Good, just checking." She said, flashing a mischievous smile. Naruto knew that smile.

"That's not the only reason you wanted a chat, is it?" Naruto said, cocking an eyebrow at her. He was pleased with himself at the impressed expression the other wore in response.

"Very good," Ino said. "You're getting better at picking up on stuff. Anyway, I happened to hear about your new roommate, Gaara."

"Wha-?" Naruto stared at her. "How? The only people I've told are Kiba, Sasuke and Shikamaru and I've been with them since telling 'em!"

"I have my sources." Ino said, that same aura of mystery surrounding her words, as always. "You should know that by now." And that was true. No one knew how, but Ino seemed to find out everything, no matter what it was. It was different from just simple gossip- she knew facts. And she was never wrong. The fact she knew about Gaara, despite having no possible way of knowing, was only a slight surprise.

"Yeah, yeah. Shoulda known." Naruto said, his smile returning. Together, the two of them started walking towards the dorms again.

"So, how is he?"

"Like you don't already know." Ino smiled at that, nudging the young man in the arm.

"Well all I've heard is that he's a bit of a loner, keeps to himself. He doesn't have friends, has a history of getting into fights and has two siblings." She listed off casually.

"Fights?" Naruto repeated, intrigued by that. Sure, Gaara looked a little impatient and intolerant, but the kind to get into fights? "You know more than me then. He hasn't spoken to me much yet."

"Ah, figures." Ino shrugged. "Well you go and try and make friends with this guy quick before you get on his nerves too much."

Ouch. That was a low blow.

"What do ya mean? I'm awesome!" Naruto declared, pushing his chest out proudly. The look the young woman gave him, however, made it shrink back almost instantly. She'd raised an eyebrow, head cocked to the side and a slight teasing smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Remember the _bedroom incident_ in Highschool?"

"…" Naruto went silent instantly, a fierce blush rising up on his cheeks. He hung his head, shoulders rising up to try and help him hide. If he were a turtle right now, he would have shot back into his shell without a second thought. Every single time _that_ incident was mentioned, Naruto felt something horrible- far beyond normal embarrassment. "Oh God, you're totally right." He said, realising that his personality tended to create difficult situations.

"Never doubt me, I'm always right." And with that, Ino stopped in her tracks and gave her- rather dim- friend a gentle smile. "Just don't overdo the hyperactive thing, okay? Maybe invite him along tonight if you can." That was actually a pretty good idea.

"Yeah," Naruto said, offering a slight smile as his blush gradually faded away. "Thanks, Ino."

"No problem. Now go shower," She said, tugging at his sweat-soaked top with her thumb and forefinger and screwing her nose up in disgust. "You stink."

"Price to pay for a body like this!" Naruto said, putting on his cocky act.

"Mm-hm." The woman hummed, rolling her eyes as she released the top and turned away. The cocky act never worked on Ino- not once. "Good luck with Gaara. I'll see you tonight."

"Yeah, see ya!" Naruto shouted, grinning as he waved at her retreating back happily. How on earth he'd been lucky enough to make friends with Ino Yamanaka, he'd never know.

* * *

Gaara let out a pleased mewl under his breath, eyes darting around his new home with slight appreciation and new-found pride. He'd finally finished unpacking all his belongings- books under his bed, clothes in the cupboard, etc.- and he was happy with the results. He'd managed to make his side of the room look pretty damn respectable. It was a complete contrast to his roommate's half. Naruto's stuff had been slung under the bed clumsily, some not even out of sight, and his clothes had been dumped in one messy heap in the chest of drawers without any care at all. Naruto wasn't just loud and optimistic, he was messy too.

There was definitely no way they were going to get on.

Nevertheless, Gaara was trying to revel in the relief of finally finishing getting settled in. He was glad Naruto had been dragged away, otherwise the whole thing would have been a huge, irritating ideal. But he also realised that he'd have to get used to that cursed blonde sooner or later, whether he liked it or not. He didn't have a say in the matter anymore. The world had decided it for him.

'_Okay, maybe that's a little too dramatic.'_ The redhead thought to himself, shaking his head at his own thoughts.

"Hey, Gaara!" Came a happy call, shortly followed by the sound of the door being shut abruptly.

'_Great. Deep breaths, Gaara, deep breaths.'_

"Hey." He muttered back, watching as the blonde bounded into view- still looking how Gaara remembered him. The only differences the younger could see included the obvious tension and tightness in his biceps,- indicating Naruto had been exercising recently- the slightly flustered appearance of his tanned face and the sheen of sweat lightly coating his skin and clothes- causing his top to cling to the contours of his body. Gaara had to drag his gaze away from that sight, just in case the blonde got the wrong idea. He wasn't checking him out,_ honest_, just observing and analysing.

"Oh, hey, you got it all finished!" Naruto beamed, looking around at Gaara's handiwork. He certainly seemed impressed. "Looking pretty damn good, wish I'd got you to organise my side of the room!" He laughed happily, clapping the boy on the shoulder. Gaara wanted to stab him at that very moment. Physical contact was a definite no. And the boy's body made it obvious to the offender.

Gaara's whole body tensed up, skin burning at the point of contact- as though Naruto's hand was branding him. He shuddered violently, stepping away from the blonde as quickly as he could. Kankuro and Temari were the only ones he allowed to touch him like that…anyone else only got physical contact in the form of a punch to the face. Naruto sure did notice- that was for sure.

First confusion, then hurt, then slight understanding crossed the blonde's face as he lowered his hand and cleared his throat awkwardly. Thankfully, he didn't pursue the subject- probably noticing that the poor redhead still hadn't relaxed- and changed the subject.

"So, anyway…I like how you organised it all. Dunno if you noticed, but I'm not that neat, hope that doesn't bother you too much." The blonde chuckled nervously. "Promise I won't let my mess spill over onto your side."

"Yeah," Gaara mumbled, avoiding not just his roommate's eyes but his entire being. Once he'd relaxed and calmed down, then he'd start planning how he was going to kill Naruto. Maybe that very night in his sleep. Worrying thing was, he was only slightly joking…

"So, where're you eating tonight?" Naruto asked, realising that it was starting to get late- approaching the time one's stomach demanded dinner.

"Here." Gaara mumbled, sitting down on his bed. He was staring at his feet intently, looking rather disheartened and dejected. Naruto really did feel bad for what he'd done- even though it wasn't exactly a horrible thing.

"Here? But there's only simple stuff like bread and junk. You're gonna need more than that."

"Had a big lunch." Gaara muttered sharply, annoyed that this guy he'd just met was so preoccupied with him. Naruto, however, wasn't convinced at all. But it wasn't his place to nag the younger teen. After all, he wanted to become Gaara's friend, not his mom.

"Ah, okay. Well me and the guys are going out for a meal tonight if you wanted to come. You could meet a few people and celebrate your first night here." The tanned man offered, starting to feel the awkwardness looming over them again. Was this life from now on? Awkward silences and tense moment?

"No, thank you."

Now that made it clear that something was wrong. Naruto didn't know the redhead well at all (actually, he knew nothing about him) but during their brief time together, he'd never heard Gaara use any manners. No 'nice to meet you's, no 'please's and the like. He really had upset the boy from just a simple touch. His usual touchy-feely approach obviously wasn't going to work well on Gaara. He had to come up with something else.

"Well, okay. I'm just gonna go get ready then head out then. You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah." Came the curt response.

Naruto sighed, deciding to leave the boy alone for now, and headed over towards their shared bathroom. With that, the blonde disappeared from view and Gaara was left alone once more.

'_He's such an idiot.'_ The idiot thought to himself, eyes glancing at the bathroom door. _'But he's trying to be nice. Can't blame him for that, I guess.'_

Gaara groaned loudly, climbing up off the bed as though it were the most demanding task in the world. After that awkward situation, the redhead didn't really fancy being there when Naruto returned from the bathroom- especially considering the blonde hadn't taken a change of clothes in with him. The fact Naruto had gone in knowing he'd be coming out with no clothes on suggested he wasn't modest at all. Another thing on the list that would piss Gaara off. This really wasn't going to go very well at all. With that thought in mind, young Gaara thought it best to go for a walk to clear his head and think things through. He'd only been at college a couple of hours and it was already getting to him. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe he should have just got a job after all.

'_No use changing my mind now.'_ Gaara reminded himself, pulling on his shoes as he heard the shower in the bathroom start up. _'Just get through it as best as possible. That's the only way.'_ But that thought didn't comfort him. The teenager merely let out another long-suffering sigh and headed out of his dorm room door.

* * *

"_Bless the young and rich with designer drugs and designer friends._" Kiba sang poorly, smirking with pure confidence over at his best friend.

"Oh, come on! That's an easy one!" Naruto yelled, punching the brunette in the arm. "That one's 'The City Is At War' by Cobra Starship!" The blonde said, grinning broadly.

"Ah, damn it." Kiba groaned, kicking at the path the group were walking on in annoyance. "Your turn."

"Hmm…" Naruto held his chin thoughtfully as he considered it, trying to pick a good one.

Shikamaru, Sasuke and Ino were strolling a little behind the two- growing a little tired of their antics. They should have been used to Naruto and Kiba's little thing by now but that didn't mean it was any less annoying.

"How long has this been going on for?" Shikamaru asked, groaning.

"Ever since Highschool," the Uchiha answered, rolling his eyes. "There used to be money on it but everyone gradually forgot the amount. Now they just carry on out of competitiveness."

"Typical guys." Ino muttered, watching as Naruto confidently made his choice and bragged that the brunette would never get it right.

"_It doesn't take long to bleed when your heart grows cold._" The blonde guy sang, that confident smirk plastered on his face still. "You'll never get that one!"

"Dude, seriously?" Kiba snapped, shaking his head in disappointment. "Totally 'Destroy The Obvious' by Evans Blue."

"Aw, what?!" Naruto sighed in frustration, also kicking at the gravel. "I was sure you didn't know that one!"

"Even I knew that one." Sasuke said, pushing past the two of them hurriedly. "Anyway, I'm off to bed. It's later than I expected so I'll see you all tomorrow." The black-haired teen said, giving a simple wave over his shoulder as he hurried into the dorm- leaving his friends confused.

"He was in a hurry." Kiba pointed out. "Anyone know why?"

"Nope."

"Not a clue."

"His brother's visiting tomorrow morning so he wants an early night." Ino said with a sigh, as though it should have been something the three boys should have known. Leave to Ino to know.

"Seriously, how do you know everything?" Kiba demanded, glaring over his shoulder at her.

"That one wasn't even difficult to work out, he's been texting him most of the night." The woman said, revealing the source of her knowledge for once. She must have been tired. "Anyway, I better head out too. I'm about two minutes from exhaustion and, trust me, that is something you don't wanna see."

"No kidding." Naruto whispered, failing to make it unheard. Ino slipped past him, leaning over in the process to hiss into his ear in (what would seem to be) a seductive manner.

"Me exhausted may be bad but nowhere near as embarrassing as the _bedroom incident_." And with that, leaving Naruto flustered and blushing, she went to bed as well. After that, Naruto was eager to get back to his own room and just sleep.

And so, a little time later, Naruto sneaked into his room as quietly and carefully as he could. Closing the door behind him, he expected the room to be plunged into darkness but instead found it illuminated slightly.

'_The bed-side lamp.'_ He deduced quickly. Gaara was home after all. When Naruto had left earlier that evening, the antisocial redhead was nowhere to be seen and he'd been kinda worried that the brief moment of innocent contact earlier had freaked him out. But the fact that Gaara had returned meant it wasn't a huge deal after all. _'Good.'_

* * *

Naruto practically tiptoed across the room towards his bed, expecting Gaara to greet him or glare at him or something. However, he was pleasantly surprised to find the boy asleep. The blonde was a bit taken aback by that and couldn't help but stop and observe the sight for a moment. It was odd to see him so relaxed after the day of tension. The boy just lay there perfectly still, without a single sound at all. Ino had mentioned over dinner that Gaara was an insomniac so this was probably a rare sight- good justification for Naruto to take in the sight as best as possible. He had to admit that, for a guy, Gaara was looking pretty cute and sweet curled up into a ball under the covers.

'_No way he'll ever look that calm awake.'_ The blonde thought to himself, running his fingers through his own hair. _'Must have fell asleep with the light on.'_ Reaching over, Naruto switched off Gaara's bedside lamp and brought darkness to the room. With that, Gaara's peaceful face was gone and Naruto began stripping down to his boxers. With a final glance towards his roommate's bed, Naruto climbed onto his own mattress and prepared himself for a long, undisturbed slumber. He was definitely tired.

* * *

It was later that night while Naruto slept deeply, without a care in the world, that the bedside lamp was switched back on by a trembling and shaky hand. Gaara was panting slightly, beads of sweat cascading down his forehead as he pulled his legs up to his chest. The day had been tiring and he had managed to get some sleep but, to his horror, he woke up to find the light he had left on turned off and the room in darkness. Finding himself in the dark instantly made his heartbeat race and his breathing quicken. He narrowly avoided the coming panic attack using relaxation techniques he'd learned a few months before, but it didn't ease the fear that had risen within him.

He was all alone, on an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar room at an unfamiliar college. All of that only made the darkness so much more frightening. The only thing currently stopping him from panicking too much was the presence of the room's other occupant.

Naruto was sprawled out on his own bed, snoring rather loudly as he slept. It didn't matter how irritating and annoying the guy was during the day, just the fact that Gaara wasn't alone helped calm him a little. Still, he had to find a way to stop his blonde roommate from ever turning his light off again. But he couldn't just confess his fear to Naruto. Never.

Gaara's thought process was suddenly interrupted by a particularly loud snore from his roommate and, for one reason or another, he felt himself relax slightly.

* * *

**A/N:**** There was chapter 2.**

**In previous stories I've always has a tendency to bash Ino and make her out to be a slut so in this one I decided to be a bit kinder to her. After all, I have nothing against her, she's just an easy target so I hope you enjoy her character.**

**And yes people, Gaara has a fear of the dark. A fear some people never grow out of (luckily I did!) and something we'll have to wait and see the solution to. So, it seems during the day Naruto is a pain but at night he's a godsend. Wonder how that will turn out…**

**Anyway, please let me know your thoughts via the reviews!**


	3. Dreams

**A/N:**** As always, thank you for the reviews!**

**I'm pretty sure you'll like this chapter due to the amount of progress made between Gaara and Naruto as well as some other stuff. Other characters don't appear in this chapter, it's all focused around the two main guys.**

**Hope you enjoy it and make sure to let me know what you think!**

**Warnings: Strong language, sexual scenes**

* * *

**Dreams**

_Naruto let a long moan, pumping a little deeper into his beautiful lover as the silk bed sheets caressed their naked skin. The person lying under him, writhing in pleasure, was so unbelievably tight that he couldn't possibly stop the sounds of pleasure from escaping his lips._

"_More." His partner begged, squeezing around him._

"_You want it?" He whispered huskily into their ear, rolling his hips sensually so that his cock could reach further inside. The response he received was a lust-filled, strangled moan as the one under him arched up._

"_Oooohhhh, Narutooo!" _

"_God, so good." The blonde hissed, body tightening up as his orgasm approached. It was gonna happen. He was gonna flood his lover as they both reached pure bliss. He couldn't wait. It had been so long. He smirked cockily, leaning down as he pounded the gorgeous body below him, and whispered into his partner's ear as sexily as he could. "You ready, baby? It's coming."_

"_Please, Naruto!"_

"_Don't worry. You'll get it." Naruto moaned loudly. "Here it co-"_

"Fuck!" The blonde shouted in frustration, burying his face in his hands to hide from the morning light. No silk sheets, no gorgeous lover under him, no precious release. Just him, stuck in his stupid bed with a raging hard on and no one to ease it for him. "I was so close! Just a little more." He groaned out, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he rolled onto his side to stare at the clock on his bedside table.

5:43 am.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Naruto sighed. It was far too early to be awake, especially when it interrupted his gorgeous dream. He was literally a second away from cumming. Why did this always happen?

With a moody groan, Naruto pulled himself into a sitting position and glanced around the room. It always took him a while in the morning to work out where he was but, when he was done, his sleepy eyes fell onto Gaara's bed. _'Empty.'_ The blonde noted, seeing the sheets thrown back and the occupant missing. _'Guess he got up early.'_

Glad that Gaara hadn't heard his frustrated and rude awakening, Naruto threw his own sheets off his body and stared down angrily at his tented boxers. His cock was rock hard, pushing against the material and making his lack of release all too obvious. He was leaking too, proving how damn worked up that dream got him. He narrowed his eyes at his crotch, giving it a hateful look, before climbing out of bed.

"I need to get laid." The blonde groaned, stretching the sleepy ache out of his body as he yawned. He really was craving sex right now- no getting around it. He'd broken up with his last girlfriend, Sakura, a few months ago and was left starved as a result. Unfortunately, he wasn't the kind for one night stands so sex was non-existent outside of relationships. Sakura had been pretty good in the bedroom department though there were a few things which sometimes killed the mood for Naruto. For one, she refused to give blowjobs. And secondly, she was way too bossy during sex. Not like his partner in the dream he just had, who begged for him and appreciated every little action. Man, if only he could have stayed asleep for a little longer.

Now the same morning question popped up- should he jerk off or just have a cold shower? Deciding it was best to just get under some icy water to kill off his horniness, Naruto prepared to head over to the bathroom before Gaara returned from wherever he'd run off to.

'_Is he avoiding me?'_ The blonde thought to himself, remembering the tension the day before. Oh well, it couldn't be helped until his hard on was dealt with.

That was when something caught his eye. Turning to look towards Gaara's bed again, Naruto realised that the lamp had been left on. The room was flooded with natural light now so it hadn't been as obvious but Naruto could have sworn that he'd turned if off when he went to bed. Even if Gaara had woken up and gone for a walk, why would he leave the light on? Wouldn't he have turned it off before leaving the room? _'Odd.'_ He thought, reaching over to turn it off- a feeling of de ja vu hitting him. With that done, all thoughts of the lamp and his roommate left his mind and he focused on getting laid again. Problem was, he didn't know too many girls and certainly none he was interested in pursuing a relationship with. Ino was the only chick he hung out with but they were so close as friends that the thought of being together was just weird. Not to mention, Ino was far too cunning and in-control to fulfil Naruto's desires for a delicate and sensitive lover.

He didn't know what it was, but he liked the thought of being loving and caring towards his partner in bed- guiding them gently and showing them what true pleasure was. Taking care of them and being appreciated fully in return. That would be a dream come true. Naruto wanted his efforts to be recognised and acknowledged, he wanted to be able to please the one he was with to the utmost. Somehow, the thought of giving a partner something so special and intimate made sex far more appealing and pleasurable. That was one thing he'd never had with Sakura and one of the reasons the relationship broke down. It was also one of the reasons why, unlike Kiba, he couldn't go out and bang random girls. Without emotion, sex lost all appeal to him.

But, for now, a cold shower would have to do…

* * *

The sun was particularly beautiful that morning, thanks to the lack of clouds in the sky. There was nothing to obscure the shimmering light from view and Gaara was quite happy to bask in it. The sun wasn't warming, not with the ice-cold breeze rushing past his skin, but it was pleasant and tranquil nonetheless as he sat on the damp grass below an old-looing tree. As usual, Gaara had watched the sun rise in the morning. There weren't many good things about being an insomniac so you had to take whatever you could get and watching the little miracle of the sunrise every morning definitely made the situation seem less depressing.

However, there was still the pressing problem of how to confront Naruto. Perhaps it would be best not to mention the lamp at all. Besides, most nights Gaara would probably be getting into bed after the blonde so it didn't really matter much…unless Naruto demanded darkness in order to sleep- in which case he was absolutely screwed. He seemed really nice so far, but everyone gets grouchy when tired and if he ordered Gaara to turn out the light, what would he do? He couldn't argue his case without revealing his greatest embarrassment.

Gaara Subaku was terrified of the dark. Really terrified. He wasn't talking about the kiddy fear of monsters lurking around which could be cured by a simple bedtime story. Oh no! By terrified he meant that if left in the darkness for more than 20 seconds, he was likely to suffer a panic attack. The terror of being unable to observe one's surroundings and stay on guard, the loss of control and the resulting vulnerability- that made the night a living hell. He once had to be rushed to hospital after a power cut back in Sunagakure due to his anxiety. So waking up in darkness the previous night had really shaken him up bad. For a moment he thought he couldn't open his eyes, until he realised the true reason for lack of light.

So far, nothing had helped ease his fear. No amount of pills, relaxation techniques or positive thinking made the slightest difference. But last night, Gaara had found some comfort in the most unexpected place…from his roommate.

Naruto's presence, his breathing and snoring, had somehow helped him relax. To know he wasn't alone, that such a fit and healthy young man was there should anything bad happen, really did have the effect nothing else had before. He had found himself wishing that Naruto was awake, whispering comforting things into the darkness to ease his terror- perhaps even give him a friendly hug. It was absurd, he knew. His loneliness during the night was causing him to yearn for affection and company but, once the night was over, all those desperate feelings vanished. The night clouded his judgment and made his mind conjure up foolish and whimsical ideas. He'd never crave Naruto's companionship during daylight…never…

Loneliness suited him just fine.

"Hey, Gaara!"

'_You've gotta be kidding me…'_ The redhead sighed, his breath resembling smoke as it passed his lips. He never believed in stupid ideas like 'if you think of someone, they will appear' but there was no mistaking that ridiculously happy voice or the way it called his name.

"Naruto," he murmured in greeting, choosing not to glance at the approaching man. He hoped to avoid the blonde as much as possible to avoid any awkwardness, but it seemed it wasn't working at all.

"What are you doing all the way out here? We're a little way from the dorms."

"I could ask you the same." Gaara hissed, listening as the footsteps came to a halt somewhere close to him.

"Oh, me?" Naruto replied, his tone making it easy to imagine his grin. "I woke up early and couldn't get to sleep so I decided to go for my morning jog. I normally don't go until about eight but there wasn't much else to do back in the room."

'_As usual, his reply is unnecessarily long.'_ Gaara thought bitterly, teal eyes rolling to analyse his roommate. Indeed, Naruto was in typical jogging gear though well-covered due to the cold. A pair of old trainers, joggers and a thick hoody made up his attire along with a water bottle in his hand. He did seem a little out of breath.

"So, what about you?" Naruto persisted, plopping down on the grass next to his roommate. Gaara wasn't pleased. Not only had he not invited the blonde to join him, but he had sat unnecessarily close as well. He really was irritating.

"I couldn't sleep. I went for a walk." The redhead answered bluntly, dragging his eyes away from the other.

"You get trouble sleeping a lot, huh?"

"Yeah."

"How come?"

'_Mind your own business.'_ Gaara snapped inwardly, wishing he could spit that statement in Naruto's face but not even he was that confrontational.

"Doesn't matter." He mumbled instead.

"If you ever wanna talk about it…" Naruto offered, trailing off slightly as the awkward tension rose up between the two of them once more.

"No." That seemed to deflate the optimistic teenager a little, pulling a disheartened sigh out of him.

"Hey, I'm your roommate and…well, I was kinda hoping we could, er…" He cleared his throat. "I was hoping we could become friends so…if you ever need to talk about anything, even though we don't know each other that well yet, I'm always…y'know, willing to listen and help…"

'_Last straw.'_ Naruto had gone too far this time with his meaningless ramblings and Gaara was getting ready to tell him so. The redhead turned to stare his roommate straight in the face, preparing to shoot down any hope the idiot had of becoming friends…but stopped.

Something was wrong.

Something happened.

Naruto was staring at him with those impossibly blue eyes, full of sincerity, and a smile on his face. It wasn't his usual goofy grin, but a small and subtle smile which was even more appealing. His hair was more ruffled and messy after not long waking up and its gold shade glistened in the morning light. The tanned skin of his face was illuminated by the sun also, making the young man glow, as well as reflecting off the small beads of sweat trailing down his cheeks. He was…he was…

'_Damn it.'_ Gaara cursed inwardly, turning his head away as quickly as he could. He hung his head in shame, trying to hide the blush he could feel forming from his watchful roommate. He could feel the heat pooling in his cheeks and in his stomach too- an odd contrast to the cold air. It irked him, made him feel sick.

"Gaara?" That smooth voice, husky from exercise, whispered out his name gently and almost made him jump in shock.

'_No, no, no!'_

"Y-yeah…" The redhead mumbled, refusing to look up again. This moment was almost as terrifying as the dark and he really couldn't stomach it. He just wanted to get this damn conversation over with as soon as possible and be left alone again. Yeah, that's right. Loneliness was good. Loneliness was preferable.

"I'm gonna keep jogging. I'll see you later, okay?"

'_Oh, thank god! Yes, please leave!'_

"O-okay." Gaara replied weakly, voice just a little shaky.

And his head remained down, eyes focused on the grass, as he listened to the footsteps fade off down the path and Naruto finally left his company. They had been in each other's presence for just a minute or two and yet…it felt so much longer to the poor redhead.

Something was terribly wrong and he was left so confused and lost. Gaara was a cool and calculative guy who wasn't often thrown off guard like this. But, right now, he felt like a vulnerable and clueless child. Something was terribly, horribly wrong.

Gaara had admitted that Naruto was hot the day before- a meaningless judgment based on fact and not emotion. Naruto's determined level of attractiveness was merely calculated as a result of observation, nothing more. But, when Gaara had stared into the blonde's face at that one moment, he had made a judgment not based on fact, but emotion alone. And that worried him. His damn brain hadn't described Naruto as merely attractive but beautiful. Naruto had looked beautiful. Attractive or hot was okay…but beautiful had so much emotion and meaning behind it…beautiful was dangerous. Beautiful had the power to make, the usually stoic, Gaara blush and hang his head. Beautiful had the power to make Gaara yearn for the affection he thought he had only desired during the terror of night.

'_This is bad. Really bad.'_ There was a reason Gaara described himself as asexual, a reason his siblings were the only people he loved. Even in previous relationships, the redhead had never felt that kind of emotion before. Never had he actually wanted to be touched by anyone. But he had this odd desire for Naruto to hug him and hold him, comfort him. That scared him. _'Loneliness suits me. I shouldn't be wanting that. I'm better off alone.' _Gaara tried to convince himself, squeezing his eyes closed in distress. If he were anyone else he would probably have cried at that moment…but he would never admit to any dampness or tears he may or may not have felt. He'd never admit to crying over fleeting feelings in the early morning…feelings for Naruto.

This was just a result of being outside in the cold for too long. Even if Gaara was capable of that kind of feeling, he'd only known Naruto a day and everything about the blonde pissed him off. That meant there was no way he could…love him? After all, they were opposites! He couldn't even count the number of times he had considered killing the man since their meeting.

'_Damn it. Please don't do this.'_ He begged, clutching the left side of his chest tightly as he sat alone.

* * *

The rest of the day was a slow and dull one for both of them. It was Thursday and the courses didn't start up until Monday so everyone on campus had a great deal of free time on their hands. For some, that was a good thing but for both Naruto and Gaara it was annoying. Gaara had nothing to do to pass the time, having no interest in socialising or joining in with the many sports games going on that day, so he found himself left alone with his confusing and annoying thoughts of Naruto.

Naruto, usually being one to love time with his friends, also found himself wishing the day would end. He was worried that he'd overstepped the mark with Gaara again that morning and ruined any chance of being friends with him. The last thing he had wanted to do was piss the redhead off but he was petrified that Gaara would hate him now. After all, Naruto's offer of friendship had made the boy turned red from anger. Maybe Gaara did want him to move out…maybe he should move in with Kiba and Shikamaru. Problem was, he couldn't discuss the problem with anyone without them laughing at him and telling him he was trying too hard. The only one he could really confide in was Ino but she was nowhere to be seen that day. Man, things were frustrating.

So the day dragged on until it was finally getting late enough to head back to the room. Neither of them could avoid it no matter how hard they tried. But Naruto stayed out with Kiba as late as possible, into the early hours of the morning, before deciding it was time to get to bed. So, once again he snuck back into his dorm room as he had the night before, to find the exact same scene.

Ino said Gaara was an insomniac, meaning he didn't sleep much. That explained why he was up so early that morning and he probably went to sleep pretty late too, but because Naruto had returned so late it wasn't much of a surprise to find the redhead asleep once again. Just as before, he was tucked into a ball under his covers, sleeping in complete silence. And, once again, his bedside lamp was on.

'_Again?'_ The blonde questioned silently, heading over to switch it off again. Darkness consumed them once more and Naruto followed his routine of stripping down to his boxers and climbing into his own bed. _'Maybe tonight I'll have that dream again and maybe I'll get to actually cum this time.'_ He thought to himself, wishing he could have his way for once, as he snuggled down and prepared to sleep. He'd have to see if him and Gaara were on good terms tomorrow. After all, tomorrow was a new day!

* * *

_Thrusting, moaning, begging, dirty whispers and a tightness around his dick. Naruto was with his dream partner once again, this time with them riding his manhood eagerly while he moaned below them. He ran his gentle fingers over his lover's body as they bounced on him over and over, getting him closer to release. So damn close…so close…_

_His lover was panting, breathing incredibly heavy. Almost like hyperventilating. Was he that good in bed that his partner had no breath? It was getting to the point that it wasn't sexy anymore. The deep breaths sounded panicked and full of fear. What was going on…?_

"Wha-?" Naruto's eyes crept open as his gorgeous dream was interrupted once more. But, to his horror, he awoke to find that the heavy breathing of his lover hadn't been part of his dream at all…it carried on even after he had sat up straight in his bed. Panicked hyperventilating , coming from the bed across from his own. Coming from the small figure hunched over on his mattress, next to the lamp which was switched on once again. "G-Gaara?" Naruto asked, squinting to try and see the other boy properly.

"…" The only response he received was more frantic breathing.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Naruto was getting worried now, his tired body instantly filled with energy as he jumped up from his bed. Gaara's silhouette flinched at his movement, his breath quickening even more and Naruto realised what was happening. His roommate was having a panic attack. Not something he would have expected from the redhead, but there was no denying it. Naruto had seen a few panic attacks throughout his time in foster homes but without knowing his roommate's medical history, he couldn't know how serious this was. What if Gaara got really bad ones? Pretty soon Naruto was starting to panic himself but he knew that the most important thing was to get the other boy to calm down.

Rushing over to Gaara's bed, Naruto alerted and shocked the redhead, only causing further panic to rise up in him.

"No, stay away!" Gaara shouted, clutching his head in his hands desperately as his struggle to breathe correctly continued.

"Hey, it's okay." The blonde man whispered, unsure of whether he was making things worse or not. "It's me- Naruto…your roommate."

No response.

"Gaara," Naruto cleared his throat, trying to rid his voice of any shakiness so that he could speak more soothingly. He slowly climbed onto Gaara's mattress, placing a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder- only to feel it tighten and tense under his touch. "It's okay. I need you to breathe slowly for me, alright? Just slow, deep breaths." He said it all with the most gentle and delicate voice he could muster, placing one hand on the redhead's chin and pulling his face towards him. "Watch me, okay. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth just like me."

"…" Gaara didn't respond but he tried his best to match his breathing to the blonde's, struggling badly but doing his best.

"That's it," Naruto encouraged with a gentle smile. "Just like that. Deep breaths."

And so they sat like that for about two minutes while the redhead slowed his breathing, finally managing to match it to Naruto's as best as he could. The whole time the blonde encouraged him gently, tracing small circles on the boy's shoulder with his thumb. However, after Gaara stopped hyperventilating, his trembling continued. His body shook with pure terror and fear- the likes of which no one should feel in their own home. And it broke Naruto's heart. "It's alright, everything's alright." The blonde whispered gently, wrapping an arm over Gaara's shoulders to comfort him. The boy tensed up under him, but fell into the embrace nonetheless with a quiet sob.

"N-Naruto…" He murmured, burying his face into the older teen's chest as his whole body quivered and tears spilled out of his eyes. Naruto hushed him, wrapping both arms around the redhead in a secure hug, and let Gaara cry on him. He had no idea what was wrong or why Gaara was acting this way but the feeling of hot tears dripping onto his bare skin pulled at his heart strings.

Could a nightmare have resulted in this? No way. Naruto didn't know him well but Gaara wasn't the kind to cry over a nightmare and was there even a nightmare in existence bad enough to cause a panic attack? Deciding to leave the questions until later, the blonde just rocked back and forth in an attempt to calm the boy down.

With his head on Naruto's chest, Gaara managed to relax by listening to the blonde's slow heartbeat. In total, it took about 15 minutes before he finally pulled out of the embrace and stared up into that kind, gentle face. It was then he realised what was happening and who was comforting him.

"You okay?" Naruto asked, offering a small smile. Once again, Gaara blushed and instantly hated both himself and his roommate. He hated himself for allowing his fear to destroy any hopes of a peaceful life sharing a room with Naruto, as well as for embarrassing himself like an idiot…and he hated Naruto for turning off the lamp and…for caring so much.

"Y-yeah, thanks…" He muttered shakily, turning away from the man he so badly wanted to kill and hug right now. "Just go back to bed."

"You sure?"

"Yes." Gaara answered bluntly, diving under the covers to hide himself. He was planning on just lying there and thinking things through for the rest of the night in silence, until he saw his idiot of a roommate reach for the lamp. Instinctively, Gaara's hand shot out and latched onto Naruto's wrist. "Please leave it on." He pleaded, in a voice so weak and vulnerable that he'd never admit to using it. But right now, he didn't care.

"Okay." Naruto replied gently, pulling his hand away. "If you need me, I'm just over there." The redhead nodded in response.

And so, as though nothing had happened, the two returned to their respective beds and turned away from one another without a word. Gaara was just thankful that the idiot wasn't asking question or pursuing the matter and Naruto was concerned about his roommate and trying to decide how to bring it up the next morning. The two of them were left in a fog of confusion and fear…

* * *

**A/N:**** Well, there you go!**

**I introduced Naruto's perverted side, Gaara' emotions and Gaara's fear…as well as their first moment of connection and comfort. So, maybe this is the start of their friendship? Or maybe this will make Gaara loathe his roommate even more…**

**So, anyway, let me know what you thought of this chapter! Thanks in advance.**


	4. Stripping

**A/N:**** Once again, thanks for all the reviews. Keep 'em coming!**

**After the seriousness of the end of last chapter I thought I'd let loose at the end of this one to keep you all hooked and entertained.**

**Make sure to review and let me know what you think of this chapter!**

* * *

**Stripping**

Gaara wanted to die.

He genuinely would love to be knocked down by a random bus after the events of the previous night. He didn't know who he hated more- Naruto or himself.

It took a while for the redhead to really process everything that had happened during the night but now, as he sat in the same place as the previous morning beneath the tree, he could remember it all clearly. Gaara could remember waking up in the darkness again, he could remember Naruto's breathing failing to calm him this time, he remembered having the panic attack and suddenly falling into the arms of his roommate. He could even remember…

'_Oh, shit. I fucking cried on him and everything!' _He screamed in his head, remembering the way he had sobbed like a child whilst that idiotic blonde had held him. They'd known each other a day and Naruto had already seen something his siblings never had- him crying. He was doomed. His life was over. Dropping out of college and running home to Sunagakure wasn't enough at this stage. Killing Naruto was the only option. Now, Gaara often considered killing people but it was never serious, usually just an outlet for his frustration and anger. This was the first time he was genuinely compelled to take the life of another human being. Naruto knew too much…

That was it.

Gaara would either have to kill Naruto or himself. How else could he possibly cope after the embarrassing display during the night? He had cried like a wimpy little baby whilst 'big daddy Naruto' had hugged him! What sane person wouldn't consider what Gaara was at that moment? He knew he'd never actually kill himself…or…Naruto…but the idea did seem really appealing.

First he had started thinking Naruto was rather beautiful yesterday morning, and then he'd allowed the blonde to comfort him! No one had ever comforted Gaara, ever. Any problems in his life were kept private and dealt with by him and him alone. It was a system that worked. And the reason it worked so well was that he wasn't left confused and frustrated like he was right now! He'd even found himself wishing that he'd been calm enough to have checked out Naruto's body- seeing as it was obvious the blonde wasn't fully dressed during the comforting. What the hell was happening to him!? This wasn't normal!

'_I have to drop out. The whole damn college will think I'm a cry baby before courses even start.'_

"Hey, Gaara!"

"Fuck off!" The redhead shouted, this time his enraged thoughts actually leaving his mouth for once. Naruto's voice calling him was definitely not what he wanted to hear right now and yet- there it was!

"Wow, someone's grumpy."

'_Grumpy!? Are you kidding me!?'_ Gaara turned and glared daggers at the approaching teen, hoping he'd disappear right there and then. He didn't want this to happen. He didn't want to be around Naruto anymore than completely necessary- for the sake of his own sanity.

"Go away." Gaara mumbled, turning away to stare at the sky. No sun this morning, just dark and murky clouds. A perfect and ironic advantage of pathetic fallacy- when the weather matches the mood.

"Aw, don't be like that." Naruto whined, plopping down next to the redhead on the grass. "I just wanted to have a chat."

"If you want to talk about last night, forget it." Gaara shot bluntly, practically snarling it. He just wanted it all to die down and fade into distant memory. That was it. But, obviously, Naruto wasn't the kind to let things blow over, he was the kind to confront things and talk about them. They really were opposites in every way.

"Well…as your roommate it's obviously something we need to chat about…" the blonde started, a little unsure of himself. "Doesn't have to be like, all in-depth and stuff, just the basics…"

Now Gaara was curious. Naruto wasn't mocking him, laughing at him or demanding to know the ins and outs. He was being realistic yet curious. Once again the idiot had surprised him…

With a sigh, the redhead finally gave in.

"What do you want to know?" He mumbled, avoiding looking at his roommate.

"Well…er, I dunno where to start." Naruto said, giving a weak chuckle. "What caused you to freak out?" And there it was- that damn question. Well, Gaara had come this far.

"The dark."

"The dark?" Naruto questioned, obviously slightly taken aback. Gaara, however, was still waiting for the laughter.

"I get anxious in the dark…cause I can't see what's going on around me. That's why I leave the lamp on so, when you turned it off and I woke up, I 'freaked out' because I couldn't see where I was or what was going on." Gaara explained, his embarrassment growing with every single word. He was trying his best to explain it in a way that didn't sound stupid or childish but he still suspected that his roommate would find it funny. Maybe he should have lied or something, at least then he wouldn't seem like such a fucking wim-

"I'm sorry."

"Huh?" Gaara turned, staring directly into Naruto's face. Had he heard right?

"I didn't know…I'm sorry about turning out the light and causing it all." Those blue eyes, shimmering with genuine regret and emotion, were staring straight into his. Naruto didn't have a smile on his face, but an expression Gaara couldn't quite work out…concern? He didn't know. Either way, the blonde wasn't laughing at him.

"That's…okay…" and, at that moment, Gaara realised something horrifying. He was making eye contact. Instantly, he tore his gaze away from those eyes and stared at the ground, a blush rising up on his cheeks once more. What was happening to him? What was it about Naruto that kept messing him up like this?

"So…from now on the lamp stays on. Do you ever get anxious and worried when the light is on?"

"Sometimes…" the redhead mumbled.

"Well, I want you to know that you can wake me up whenever you need to. I wanna be able to help you, Gaara."

"But why?" Gaara hissed, glancing towards the blonde for just a moment. He didn't understand why this moron cared so damn much.

"Because I've decided we're friends!" And there was that grin.

"Friends?"

"Yup! After last night we're officially friends! Only a friend would have comforted you and only a friend would have accepted it!"

"But…" Gaara thought it over, finding that his roommate was speaking a little sense for once. _'Damn logic.'_ This wasn't going how Gaara had planned it out. If the redhead tried killing Naruto now he'd feel guilty and bad after how nice his roommate had been. _'Well played, Uzumaki…well played.'_ Naruto hadn't ensured his survival with that show of friendship. For now. "Fine."

"YAY!" Naruto shouted excitedly, wrapping an arm around his friend's shoulder and laughing out loud as his happiness bubbled up. And, once again, Gaara was tempted to kill him. He could feel Naruto's strong bicep against the exposed flesh of his neck and he could smell the blonde's intoxicating scent…this was really getting annoying.

"Off." Gaara hissed, pushing his 'friend' away from him. "Let's keep the physical contact to a minimum."

"You didn't mind last night." Naruto teased, winking sneakily at the blush which flared up on that pale skin. Now he was pushing it. Reaching over, Gaara punched him in the arm roughly. "Ouch!" The blonde winced, rubbing the site of attack tenderly. "For a little guy, you hit damn hard."

"Don't forget it."

* * *

"Someone's looking smug," the smooth voice called out, interrupting Naruto's intense concentration. The blond smiled in response, dropping the weights, as a hand ruffled his hair teasingly. "Did my little Naruto get _laid_ last night?"

"You know I didn't," The youth retorted, huffing in frustration as he swung round to face the woman. "Why do you bother asking, Ino?"

"Cause I love that cute pout of yours." She said with a smirk, throwing her friend a clean towel. Naruto quickly wiped the sweat from his face and neck, reaching for his water bottle as well. He'd been working out for a while now- something he tended to do when deep in thought- and he was well and truly exhausted. Taking a swig from his bottle, Naruto watched as Ino leaned on the bar, wearing a smile that told him she knew something.

"What?" He muttered, wiping some water from his chin.

"Yesterday Gaara couldn't stand you and then, this morning, you guys seemed to get on pretty well."

'_How the hell does she know what went on this morning?!'_ Naruto asked, knowing full well he should be used to it by now.

"So…what happened last night?" Ah, so not even the all-knowing Ino knew what happened behind closed doors. Maybe if Gaara had some friends at college to tell, she'd have found out but now Naruto had the upper hand.

"Nothing you need to know." He teased, poking a tongue out to tease the knowledge-hungry woman. Unfortunately, being rather unobservant and clueless, Naruto hadn't realised just how bad that had sounded.

"You're definitely gonna have to clarify now or everyone's going to think you've taken a different turning at the fork in the road- gone for a tighter passage." She hummed amusedly, voice full of suggestion.

"Oh, shit." The blonde groaned, realising what he'd done. Sometimes he wished he was just a little bit smarter. "Nothing like that!" Ino merely giggled.

"Well?" She said, leaning in expectantly. He had no choice now.

"Well, Gaara sorta had a panic attack last night and I kinda…comforted him." Naruto explained, trying to word things carefully. "See, he gets freaked out in the dark so he left his lamp on and I just thought he forgot to turn it off so I did, so when he woke up in the dark he had a panic attack and it woke me up so I went over and gave him a hug and helped calm him down and then went back to bed. Then this morning I got him to accept that we're officially friends, ya know."

"Right," Ino said, nodding once. She was the only one who could truly follow Naruto's ramblings and make perfect sense of them- though it still took effort. "So you're getting on now then, huh? That's good."

"Yeah, but he hasn't opened up or acted any differently around me." Naruto said a little dejectedly.

"Well obviously. Not everyone's as open as you are, Naruto. It's gonna take a little time before he feels comfortable enough to do any of that stuff."

"Yeah, I know." The youth mumbled.

"Still, don't you think it's kind of odd that you're fussing over this so much?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow his way. "People are gonna get the wrong idea, including Gaara."

"Ya think?" Naruto asked, tilting his head at her in confusion and bewilderment with that puppy pout of his. Ino couldn't help but smile and shake her head.

"Okay, I'm gonna explain this simply." She said, leaning in further. "Naruto, you are my friend and I love you unconditionally, but you really are the most clueless guy I've ever met."

"Oh…"

"But who knows…maybe Gaara likes that kinda thing." Ino giggled, winking.

"Hey! That's not funny, Ino!" He yelled, blushing slightly at the implication, as she got up onto her feet. Naruto was very protective of his masculinity- something both Ino and Kiba took advantage of- and though he didn't have anything against gays (he was pretty sure Sasuke was one anyway) he somehow felt threatened by the suggestion that he himself delivered his packages through the back door. "You know full well I'm not gay."

She smiled at him slyly, "Gay- no. But there's always a chance you have an undiscovered bi side. After all, without experimenting, how could you be so sure?" Naruto practically spluttered at her words, staring at her in absolute wonder.

"Does t-that mean…you've experimented, Ino?"

"You're so cute when you're having perverted thoughts," she said, pinching his flustered cheek. "But never ask me that again."

"Why do you get to ask inappropriate questions then?" The youth snapped, pouting in annoyance at his friend. "You get to have all your perverted thoughts."

"Naruto, my brain's too busy making me amazing. It doesn't have time for perverted thoughts." She giggled. "Besides, I just thought that a little experimentation might be a nice break after what went down with Sakura." That was enough to make the young man blush deeply.

"Ino…" He hissed in warning.

"Fine, fine." She sighed, heading towards the exit with a victorious smile planted on her beautiful face. "Just make sure you don't pressure the poor guy into a friendship with you. Go easy on him!"

"Hey, are we still on for tonight?!" Naruto yelled after her.

"Yup! Your room at eight!"

* * *

"I just want Monday to hurry up and get here so I can start my courses," Gaara groaned, taking a long drag from a cigarette some random dude had given him earlier as a peace offering. The redhead didn't know or care who he was, all he knew was that when he shot him a glare, this was what he was given in return. "I'm sick of having nothing to do."

"_Yeah, well smoking isn't exactly a good way to fill the day."_ Temari lectured at him down the phone, the disappointment evident in her tone. _"If that becomes a habit, I'll beat you black and blue."_

"Yeah, yeah. It's a one off- promise." Gaara assured her. Truth was he had no interest in alcohol, drugs or tobacco. But, in the short term, it was a good stress relief. And it was a nice change to wander outside for a fag, rather than stay stuck in his room alone. "How's things at home?"

"_Pretty boring since you left actually. Considering you hardly talk or do anything, I'm actually really surprised how much things have changed."_

"Thanks," He muttered bitterly. It was nice to know he was appreciated.

"_Aw, don't be like that. If you really wanna know why it's so dull here," _She dropped her voice to a whisper. _"it's because Kankuro's been moping and sulking since we got back. I think he misses you a lot."_

"How sweet…" Gaara said slowly, actually finding the idea quite amusing. The thought of his older brother pining after him now he was gone was the funniest thing he'd heard for a while. "Say hello from me."

"_Will do." _She muttered dismissively, obviously wanting to change subject onto the one thing she'd been wondering. _"So how's that roommate of yours, huh?"_

"He's…" Gaara sighed, resting his head against the cool brick of the wall as he flicked his cigarette away, "an idiot. He's loud, intrusive, annoying and he just doesn't give up. But…"

"_But?"_ She asked expectantly.

"I had an attack last night."

"_Oh, Gaara. I'm sorry. So soon?" _Temari's sisterly instincts instantly kicked in. _"How did Naruto react?_

"Well that's the thing…" the redhead began, unsure if he should really tell his sister this. "he was really nice about it. He helped me calm down and didn't laugh or make fun of me when I explained it and…he decided that we're now friends."

"_Wow!"_ The excitement was clear in her voice…it stung Gaara to his core. He knew he should have kept it quiet. _"That's awesome to hear, Gaara! Sounds like this Naruto is a really great guy after all."_

"Don't push it, Temari." Gaara hissed. "He's just barely bearable…_just_." That earned a laugh from his sister.

"_Well, good luck is all I can say. Once your courses start you'll probably be too busy to even notice the guy."_

"Not a chance. This guy's way too…noticeable…" the redhead muttered, not sure himself in what way he meant it. There were plenty of things that made Naruto stand out, from his loud and boisterous personality to his charming and handsome looks. Gaara wasn't entirely sure what it was that made him keep stealing glances out the corner of his eye, or listening carefully to every sound his roommate made. He liked to think he was just curious about the guy, since they were sharing a room, but the day before had proven that wrong. He was actually attracted to Naruto…he actually had some level of feelings for him. Gaara was hoping they'd pass, like most feelings did, and that it was a result of being temporarily knocked off balance by Naruto. But, somehow, he doubted it…

"_Are you still there or what?!"_ Temari yelled down the phone, snapping her little brother out of his thoughts.

"Er, yeah. Sorry, got distracted for a minute." Gaara said quickly, hating himself for the blush he could feel rising on his cheeks.

"_Distracted? That's not like you, Gaara…"_

'_No…it's not…'_ Gaara pondered, gulping slightly. _'Damn you, Uzumaki.'_

* * *

"FUCK YOU, KIBA! YOU CAN SUCK IT!"

Gaara froze, fingers just hovering over the door handle to his dorm room, as he heard Naruto's voice practically scream out in excitement. Part of him really didn't want to know, but it was getting late and he didn't have anywhere else to kill time. So, reluctantly, he pushed the door open and stepped inside. He was vaguely surprised by the scene within his room, as well as its occupants, but shrugged it off nonetheless.

Naruto was sat cross-legged on the floor in a circle of other teenagers, a triumphant grin on his face as he pointed to a row of playing cards he had slammed onto the carpet. Looking around, Gaara recognised only one of the others- the guy he had seen on his first day, Kiba. The others, however, weren't familiar at all. So, despite lack of interest, Gaara analysed them anyway.

There were six in total: Naruto, Kiba, a black-haired guy with pale skin, a tired looking boy with a ponytail, a girl with long blonde hair and another girl with dark hair pulled into two buns. Each one of them turned to look at him as Gaara closed the door and he found their expressions of surprise irritating- it was his room after all!

"Hey, Gaara!" Naruto yelled, his grin broadening. "We're just playing pontoon- didn't fancy going out tonight." The short explanation wasn't at all satisfying and the redhead certainly wasn't pleased with the strangers littering his living space. And the mess they had made was even more irritating- empty bottles and food wrappers thrown everywhere. "Everyone, this is Gaara." Naruto announced, slurring a little. He'd obviously had some alcohol, though probably not too much. "Introduce yourselves!"

"I'm Kiba," the tattooed brunette said with a wave, looking a little weary.

"Sasuke," the pale-skinned boy, stoic and unreadable.

"Name's Shikamaru," the tired-looking one, boredom all over his face.

"Ino," the blonde girl, with a sweet and charming smile.

"And I'm Tenten!" the one with buns, rather enthusiastic in her speech.

"These are all my friends!" Naruto yelled proudly. "I mean, my _other_ friends. You're my friend too, Gaara."

"Great," the redhead mumbled, heading over to his bed.

"Hey, d'ya wanna play?" His roommate asked, "We've only just started so I can deal ya in if you want?"

"I'll pass." Gaara said, slumping down on his bed to rest his aching body. He'd done a lot of walking whilst trying to avoid a certain blonde, he desperately needed to lie down. "I'm just gonna read, you guys go on." Why he was being so polite was beyond him, but Gaara said nothing more as he pulled out the manga he was currently reading and opened to the bookmarked page. If he was lucky, he could probably just ignore the group of teenagers until they left and his night would go without a hitch.

"Where were we? Oh, yeah! Kiba, take it off!" Naruto yelled, instantly grabbing Gaara's attention. His teal eyes snapped from the page to the brunette currently muttering about how much the game sucked.

"Fine," Kiba grumbled, reaching down to the hem of his t-shirt sulkily.

'_Oh, you cannot be serious.'_ Gaara face-palmed mentally as he watched the teen pull his shirt off and throw it across the room. _'A card game with a stripping forfeit. I didn't think people actually played them, I thought it was just a tv thing…'_

But, sure enough, Kiba was left sitting in the circle shirtless. If Gaara was honest, the brunette had a pretty fit body, loaded with toned muscle, but nothing of particular interest. What bothered him was the idea that he'd now have to put up with this group of people stripping in his dorm room. That looming thought made him instantly scan the others to see their state of undress.

Ino, Tenten, Sasuke and Shikamaru were still fully-clothed.

Kiba was worse off, now missing both socks and his top.

Naruto was missing one sock.

They must have only just started.

Growling, Gaara returned to his manga in hopes of burying himself in the shallow storyline and blocking out the sounds and actions of these damn house guests. He didn't want to see any of them naked…especially not Naruto! That would be the worst possible scenario right now!

* * *

"_You got the lowest, Sasuke! Take off that sock!" Naruto yelled, voice full of smug triumph…_

"_Woohoo! C'mon, Ino, start losing 'em!" Kiba shouted as the round ended…_

"_Bad luck, Tenten." Another round gone…_

_And the rounds continued to pass again and again and again…_

"Aw, dammit!" Naruto groaned.

"Tough luck, Naruto. Lose the shirt." Ino said slyly as she was left victorious of yet another round. Gaara had to admit, this girl was damn good at this game. Out of everyone, she had lost the least amount of clothing- just one sock! Naruto had been doing rather well too, until he lost the most recent round.

Kiba was down to his boxers, proving to be the worst at the game.

Shikamaru and Sasuke were both shirtless, showing off their slim physiques.

Tenten had also lost her shirt, now showing her coral pink bra.

And now Naruto was…

'_Shit.'_ Gaara cursed inwardly, trying his best to keep his eyes on his manga. So far he had succeeded in keeping to the background, sneaking the occasional glance to see who was winning the game and avoiding any attention. He noticed that only Naruto occasionally looked over to check on him. But now Naruto was grasping the hem of his shirt, Gaara wasn't sure how long he could go on ignoring things. He knew perfectly well that once the blonde's torso was revealed, he would be taking more than a brief glance.

And so, teal green eyes watched in fascination as inch after inch of bronze skin was slowly revealed to all the room's inhabitants. To say he was impressed was a major understatement. If Gaara had to try his best to describe Naruto's upper body to someone who hadn't seen it he would be sat there for hours talking about it.

He wasn't too differently built than Kiba, but was somehow so much hotter. Beautifully sculpted abs adorned his stomach, obviously having been toned through vigorous exercise over the years, along with pecs more prominent and defined than his brunette friend's and two dusty, pert nipples. His golden skin seemed luscious and smooth stretched out over lean muscle and those cursed biceps of his bulged as he yanked the shirt over his head, ruffling his blonde locks a little.

Kiba wolf whistled as the shirt was discarded and chuckled at his own joke, slapping Naruto on the back.

"Not bad, Naruto. But not good enough when you're competing with my sexiness!" The tattooed teen yelled proudly. Gaara wasn't impressed. Ignoring Kiba, he watched Naruto's modest smile and pure eyes sparkle. Naruto had a perfect body, a sweet (if not overbearing) personality and a genuine feel to him. What really topped it off when it came to his attractiveness was the fact he seemed rather oblivious to just how drop dead gorgeous he was. They say confidence is attractive and Gaara agreed with that. Naruto was confident, outspoken and sure in himself but he wasn't cocky- like Kiba. His confidence was at the perfect level…the level that really appealed to his redheaded roommate.

'_Dammit.'_ Gaara hissed to himself, realising just how much of an effect a half-naked Naruto was having on him. He was hypnotized. He didn't even notice as the next few rounds went by- far too focused on the way the blonde's muscles stretched and moved as he played out his cards. Only one thing snapped him out of it:

"You lose again, Naruto!" Kiba yelled triumphantly, the cockiest grin known to man on his face.

"Aw, darn it!" The blonde groaned, climbing to his feet.

This was going way too quick. Gaara could only watch helplessly as those jeans were unbuttoned, unzipped and pushed down to the ground- revealing more than was comfortable. Naruto was left standing there in nothing but a pair of bright orange boxers, showing off nearly all his body for everyone to see. And, the usually stoic, Gaara was shocked by just how interested he was. Normally he couldn't care less if someone undressed in front of him (not that it was a regular occurrence) but Naruto was a different story…

Gaara reluctantly drank in the sight of strong thighs and sturdy calves, as well as the significant bulge lurking in those boxers. The brightly-coloured shorts were pretty loose on Naruto's hips- hiding any outline of what was beneath- but a bulge was still visible. And Gaara couldn't help but picture what that bulge hinted at.

"Better luck this round, Naruto." Ino hummed as the boy sat back down and crossed his legs again. Gaara dragged his eyes away, back onto the page. There was no way he could concentrate on his manga's convoluted story, but at least he could avoid staring and gawking like an idiot!

That was…until…

…

Naruto lost the next round too…

"Alright, Naruto," the now braless Tenten said with a smirk. "Boxers come off!"

* * *

**A/N:**** Well, there you go!**

**Poor Gaara. No matter how emotionally stunted he is and how much he distances himself from ordinary human behaviour, not even he can remain calm and unmoved when faced with the sexiness that is Naruto Uzumaki!**

**What did you think of this chapter guys? Let me know!**


	5. Breaking The Shell

**A/N:**** Thanks for your reviews, as always. Time for a little story progression I think. This chapter takes a pretty big leap in terms of development between Naruto and Gaara so I hope you do enjoy it. Let me know what you thought after reading the A/N at the end.**

**Thanks in advance!**

**Warnings: Strong language, sexual scenes**

* * *

**Breaking The Shell**

"Alright, Naruto," the now braless Tenten said with a smirk. "Boxers come off!"

Gaara was staring intently now, not bothering to pretend he was engrossed in his manga anymore. No one was paying him attention anyway, so why go to the effort of being stealthy? He knew perfectly well the details of this game and what it might lead to- Tenten's exposed breasts were evidence of that- but Naruto seemed to be doing so well he never considered this moment would come.

The redhead was far more interested in seeing what was under those boxers than he should have been. That may be weird for a gay, hormonal teenager to say but- always claiming to be asexual- his interest in most things of that nature was lacking. But there was something about Naruto. He'd figured that out a while ago. Seeing the blonde's exposed body had sparked something inside Gaara and he couldn't ignore the occasional twitch of his own member in response. Seeing Naruto naked was very much at the forefront of his mind.

So he watched anxiously as the slightly blushing blonde climbed to his feet with a shy smile and hooked his thumbs under his waistband- hesitating for a moment.

"C'mon, Naruto!" Kiba yelled, "It's not like I haven't seen it before!"

"Same here," Sasuke added.

"I've seen it a number of times." Ino chimed in.

"Those were all by accident!" Naruto snapped, his blush deepening. "Showing it by accident and doing it on purpose are different, ya know!"

"Well I ain't seen it," Tenten said, that smirk still crossing her lips. "and I'm waiting so hurry up!"

"I gotta admit," Shikamaru interjected, with more awakeness than he'd shown all night. "now I'm interested in what you're packing."

"You're all damn perverts!" Naruto shouted, pushing the shorts down a little to reveal more of the perfect 'V' of his pelvic bone. Gaara was completely entranced now, his eyes focused on the offending waistband as he prepared to drink in the sight as best as possible. "Back me up here, Gaara!"

"Wha-?!" The redhead stumbled as his name was called suddenly, crying out as he leaned too far on one side and rolled right off the edge of the bed. "Shit!" He groaned as his body slammed into the floor and his head smacked against his bedside cabinet roughly. Gaara's head was filled with pain at the knock and his level of embarrassment was at an all-time high. As though to add insult to injury…his manga fell and landed right of his face.

"Gaara!" He heard Naruto yell in shock, before footsteps told him the blonde was rushing over to his aid. Just what he needed…attention drawn to his stupid stunt. "You okay?" His roommate asked, picking the manga off Gaara's face.

"F-fine," Gaara mumbled grumpily, coming face-to-face with the kneeling blonde's groin. He glared at the bulge angrily, as though blaming it for his fall. All interest and adoration for it had gone, now Gaara hated it for making him look stupid. "I heard you say my name and it made me jump, that's all."

"Made you jump? More like made you fuckin' shoot off like a rocket!" Kiba yelled, laughing hysterically at the whole situation. Gaara shot him a hateful glare through Naruto's legs. As if this whole thing wasn't bad enough now he had a moron mocking him too.

"Shut up, Kiba!" Naruto snapped back, silencing the brunette before turning back to inspect the blushing redhead. "You sure you're okay, Gaara?" He asked softly as he helped the smaller boy into a sitting position. Instantly, Gaara lifted a hand to rub the back of his sore head while cursing under his breath. It really did hurt.

"Yeah, just knocked my head is all." He lied, not wanting any fuss to be made. He just wanted everyone- including himself- to forget this whole thing ever happened. He had never embarrassed himself like this before and it was a horrible feeling.

…

Gaara froze.

The feeling of Naruto's warm and gentle fingers running through his hair shocked Gaara into stillness. Naruto's hand was bigger and far warmer than his own so he allowed his to drop to his side in order to give his roommate better access. Naruto was caressing his scalp beneath the hair, fingers rubbing tender circles along the surface as he continued searching the mass of red hair. Eventually, the blonde's gentle search led him straight to the site of injury. Gaara hissed under his breath and, instantly, Naruto's touch lightened as he carefully pressed against it with those wonderfully skilled fingers.

"Ah, starting to get a bump there." He whispered in that beautifully soft tone of voice. It sent shivers and tingles throughout Gaara's body. "And it feels like a small cut or graze too. There's a really tiny amount of blood." The redhead looked up in confusion, gazing into the face of his cursed roommate with curiosity. It wasn't the nature of his injury that had him confused. It was Naruto himself. Naruto was staring down at him with an expression Gaara couldn't quite put his finger on. His eyes seemed caring and gentle and his lips were slightly stretched into a comforting smile. He looked beautiful like that. That expression, that voice and the artificial light of the room making his bronze skin glisten. This moment felt…almost intimate to Gaara. "Come here."

"W-wait!" Gaara choked out as he was lifted up by those strong arms, the biceps tensing slightly, before being placed down on the bed carefully. He lied there, staring at Naruto still.

"I'm gonna go get you an icepack before that bump swells too much." Naruto said in the same soft voice, ruffling the top of Gaara's hair gently. No one had ever ruffled Gaara's hair before- except with the intent to annoy him. It was…actually rather nice.

"You don't have to," the redhead began. "I just knocked my head." He felt like a helpless child whose pathetic excuse of an injury was being tended to just to humor him.

"He's right, Naruto. It's just a bump, he'll be fine." Kiba chimed in from the middle of the room, chuckling slightly still. Gaara would have shot him another glare if he didn't agree with the brunette. Who had ever heard of being so tender and gentle just because someone had bumped their head?

"I don't care, I'm getting one anyway." The teen said determinedly in defiance, heading straight over to the kitchen area.

There was a silent pause of awkwardness in the room. No one quite knew what to say. The whole mood had shifted so suddenly. Just moments ago, Naruto had been calling them all perverts whilst they waited for him to strip naked and now the blonde was tending to a minor injury that someone outside their little group had sustained as though it were something serious. The awkwardness was almost painful. Finally, the blonde girl, Ino, got up with a knowing smile on her pretty face.

"It's been a long night and I'm sure poor Gaara has a headache now so everyone get dressed and let's go." She said, glancing at Naruto's back as he searched the freezer. Gaara noticed that there was something about this girl…like she was all-knowing or something. It was actually kind of creepy. But she was right- his head was throbbing with pain and he doubted he could handle any loud noises right now. This was worse than any hangover.

"Well, see ya tomorrow!" Kiba called to Naruto as he pulled on his clothes and stumbled over to the door. Yup, loud noises really were painful. Gaara glared one final time at the brunette for being so damn stupid before he left the room. One by one, the teenagers all said their goodbyes before filing out the dorm. The last one to leave was Ino, who stopped on her way out and glanced between Naruto and Gaara briefly, before finally leaving. Now they were alone. And, just like that, things felt even more awkward than before.

"Here you go- knew there was one somewhere." The blonde said with a triumphant smile as he headed back over to the bed with an icepack in hand. "Guess they expect us to injure ourselves or something, huh?"

"I guess," Gaara added unhelpfully, not knowing if he could really cope with an awkward silence right now. He didn't understand why his roommate was being so nice to him. Comforting him when he had a panic attack could be passed off due to the fact few people would just ignore that but this was…It was obvious Naruto was kind and caring but this was going above and beyond necessary. Surely a kind person would just ask if he was okay and then leave it at that.

"Head up," Naruto commanded softly. That tone of voice was odd too. Gaara had never heard anyone use that kind of tone with him before. He had heard parents use it when their children were hurt or upset- but he didn't have parents. He had heard children use it when they were sleepy- but he didn't have children. He had heard lovers use it out of affection but…Gaara wasn't loved like that. Either way, he couldn't help but obey, almost as though he were caught in a trance.

Once his head was raised, Naruto sat down behind his head and gently placed the icepack on the forming bump. Gaara hissed out at the slight sting but quickly calmed once he felt Naruto tracing his fingers along his arm soothingly. That touch was so strong but so gentle. It was comforting…something Gaara had never felt.

"You don't have to go to all this trouble for me." He mumbled, glancing up at the blonde's face. The slightly hurt look that crossed his roommate only added to his confusion. What was wrong?

"Helping you isn't trouble, Gaara." Naruto said firmly, staring deep into his eyes. "You need to value yourself more."

"But it's just a bump."

"But it hurts, right?"

"Well…y-yeah."

"Then I'm helping to make it hurt less." Naruto said, pressing the icepack closer to the bump but still with the same tenderness as before. Gaara couldn't help but sigh out as the sting eased. To his surprise, the combined feeling of pain relief, the gentle caress of his arm and the soothing warmth of Naruto's body heat were actually making him relax so much that his eyelids were starting to flutter close. He was starting to drift.

'_Now isn't the time.'_ Gaara inwardly warned, trying to fight the feeling of sudden tiredness. That was until he felt Naruto press closer to him so that Gaara's cheek was pressed against his lower stomach and the icepack was shifted into a more comfortable position. Gaara glanced up at Naruto's smiling face curiously.

"It's okay. Just go to sleep and I'll stay here until the swelling goes down." That soft, gentle voice made it impossible to argue. Pretty soon, despite his confusion and conflict, Gaara found himself drifting off…

* * *

As per his usual routine, Gaara awoke half way through the night and glanced around the room worriedly. Every time his eyes opened he panicked- afraid something horrifying might lie on the other side of his eyelids. But, to his surprise, the room was illuminated to the point that he could see everything. His bedside lamp wasn't on; instead the main lights were on. Why did Naruto forget to turn them off? It seemed odd.

However, Gaara's question was quickly answered by the gentle snores that he recognised to be his roommate's.

'_He must've fallen asleep.' _He concluded amusedly. _'Wait…'_ Naruto had fallen asleep…in his bed.

Gaara lifted his head, discovering that his 'pillow' had actually been the blonde's warm abdomen all along. Looking up, Gaara saw that Naruto had fallen asleep in his seated position, back pressed up against the headboard and his head hanging to one side. The blonde's lips were parted to allow those soft snores to sound out and his face looked…heavenly. The tattooed boy couldn't help but watch for a moment as Naruto's strong chest rose and fell with each snore in a soothing rhythm.

The icepack had been dropped at some point and the arm it had been at the end of was now wrapped around Gaara's frame protectively. Smiling slightly, the still sleepy redhead couldn't help but drop his tough front for a moment. Because, at that moment, he realised something incredible. Something he had only guessed since the previous night. Naruto made him feel safe. At this point in the night, once Gaara had awoken, whether he had a panic attack or not he always had to get out of bed and go for a walk until morning. He could never relax enough to get back to sleep. But here he was, held within Naruto's strong arms and pressed against the blonde's body in an almost possessive hold. It didn't matter that it was night, it didn't matter that Naruto was asleep therefore unable to protect him. All that mattered was that Gaara felt truly safe there.

'_Loveable idiot.'_ He thought suddenly as he allowed his head to fall back onto Naruto's stomach. He nuzzled the man's abs briefly in an attempt to get comfortable before closing his eyes. There was just something about Naruto Uzumaki that broke through Gaara's shell. Up until now, Gaara didn't even know it was a shell, he thought that was just who he was. Incapable of love, carrying a hatred of affection and human touch, always wary and untrusting of others…that was Gaara. But here he was, snuggling up to someone he had only known a few days and feeling oddly calm and comfortable. He could blame it on his tiredness but he knew the truth.

'_I'm not as cold and empty as I thought…'_ That was his final thought before, for the first time, he drifted back off to sleep in the middle of the night.

* * *

"Why'd you pull me away from the game?" Naruto whined. "I was totally winning! What's the deal, Ino?"

"We need to talk." The woman said simply once they were in a private spot away from the basketball game. The last thing she wanted was an angry Kiba interrupting them and demanding his teammate back or a curious Sasuke spying on them.

"What about? What did I do wrong?" Naruto asked worriedly, taking a slight step back as horror spread over his face. Ino couldn't help but roll her eyes, grasping the man's top and yanking him closer again.

"Nothing. We need to talk about Gaara." She whispered in his ear, in that sort of way that made all the boys' knees go weak- including Naruto's. They would never cross the line of friendship but man did she turn Naruto on sometimes. She sometimes did it deliberately just to tease the poor guy.

"G-Gaara? What about him?" He asked curiously, pulling away from her seductive lips for the sake of sanity. "What's up?"

"I know you're oblivious, Naruto. But last night made something very clear to me." Ino said, staring at her friend's confused face with sympathy. "Why do you want to befriend Gaara so much?"

"What do you mean? The guy doesn't have any friends; I wanna make sure he isn't lonely."

"I don't believe that anymore, Naruto. That may be true but it's not the whole truth. Now talk." She said firmly, knowing she'd get the answer she wanted one way or another. Naruto had never kept any secrets from her before and he sure as hell wasn't going to start now. Ino knew he wasn't keeping the truth secret on purpose, he just needed a push to realise it.

"I dunno…"

"Let's start with yesterday then, shall we?" The woman said, watching Naruto closely for any change in expression. So far, nothing. "When you were helping Gaara, what was going through your mind?"

"Well, I…I just sorta…was worried about him." Naruto mumbled, staring at his own feet as he tried to remember. "I wanted to make sure he was looked after 'cause…well I don't think he's ever been looked after before. And when he fell asleep while I was looking after him, I was really happy that he'd felt comfortable enough to relax around me and I couldn't help but wanna…l-look after him and keep him safe."

"Right…" Ino said, listening to every word intently. For now she'd just let him talk as much as he wanted and then try and add everything up. It was the best way after all.

"Before I knew it I fell asleep on the bed with him, guess I just couldn't stay awake. B-but when I woke up in the morning, Gaara was still there cuddled up to me and he looked so peaceful. It was the first time he's still been in the room when I've woken up. Normally he leaves 'cause he can't sleep but he actually slept all night with me and that…that made me feel special and helpful and…needed." Naruto started to blush while talking. He would never dare say this kind of stuff to anyone but Ino because of how weird and stupid it sounded. "I've never felt like that before…like I'm actually needed and important. When he woke up I thought he'd be grumpy or angry with me but instead he was alright and thanked me for helping him. Then I went for my jog and…I couldn't stop thinking about it."

"I see…" Ino began, starting to understand the situation. It sort of made sense to her, the rest she could take a stab at. "So Gaara's never had someone look after and care for him like that before and you've never felt like you're looking after and care was needed. So, naturally, it all fit together. You made him feel safe and cared for and he made you feel needed and important. Makes sense."

"Yeah," Naruto said with a slight smile, glad Ino didn't misinterpret his words.

"So you see him like a brother?" And with that, Naruto's smile faded and a gentle blush rose on his cheeks as he looked away. That pretty much told Ino all she had to know. "When you see Gaara, what goes through your head?"

"Well…whenever I see him I just wanna make him feel like he doesn't have to be so defensive and cut off and that he can let loose and be himself. I just wanna look after him and make him feel safe and worth something. I wanna make him feel…"

"Loved?" Ino finished for him, watching as embarrassment and horror consumed the young man.

"Y-yeah, but not in that way!" He snapped hurriedly. "I j-just mean I wanna make him feel like someone cares about him, I don't mean it in a…in _that_ sort of way. I wanna be his best friend!"

"I get the picture." The woman assured him, giggling slightly at how flustered and worked up her friend was getting over the conversation. It was cute in an endearing way. This was the side of Naruto which made him different from Kiba and the side Ino thought deserved to be appreciated by someone. "That's all I wanted to know. You can get back to your game." She said nonchalantly, waving a hand as she started heading off- leaving the poor guy in deep thought. "Oh, and Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"Gaara does appreciate you, he's just not used to it." She said with a smile, leaving Naruto alone once more. Ino had done her bit for now, feeling rather damn pleased with herself. And Naruto…he couldn't help but smile slightly…

* * *

Naruto greeted his roommate happily as he wandered into their shared room, glad to see the redhead look up from his manga to respond. Gaara was reclining on his bed, reading the same manga from the night before.

"What have you been doing?" Gaara asked him, observing the hot and sweaty blonde with a towel draped over his shoulders. Naruto looked soaked.

"We had a little basketball competition today," Naruto said with a grin, heading over to the tattooed teen. "I totally won!"

"Good for you," Gaara muttered indifferently, eyes glancing back down at the page open in front of him. That lack of enthusiasm earned a pout from the exhausted and proud blonde.

"So…this any good?" Naruto asked curiously, looking over the redhead's shoulder to get a look.

"Kind of bland and one-dimensional but it's good enough to pass the time." Gaara grumbled, glancing at the sweaty man beside him. "You going out tonight?"

"Nah, thought I'd have a quiet night in with you!"

"Lucky me," Gaara spat sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Gee, thanks." The blonde muttered, not letting it get him down. He remembered what Ino had said earlier so Gaara's attitude didn't affect him anymore. He was damn optimistic about the whole thing. "You're having a shower before anything else. You stink." The redhead said bluntly, earning a scowl from his roommate.

"Fine, if you say so." Naruto mumbled with a mischievous smirk. "Be back in a sec!" He shouted, throwing his sweat-covered towel right at Gaara's face before sprinting off to the bathroom as fast as he could manage. He practically burst into laughter at the scream of 'Bastard!' calling after him and locked the door with a triumphant grin. Breaking Gaara's shell was gonna be damn fun, that was for sure!

* * *

Seeing Naruto exit the bathroom did nothing to help Gaara's predicament. Seeing that toned, gorgeous body covered in droplets of water, his blonde spikes framing his face from dampness and nothing but a towel covering that cursed bulge had the redhead cursing life itself for being so damn unfair. Naruto was just amazing in every way.

"All done!" The blonde announced proudly, spreading his arms out for inspection, those biceps bulging and tensing with each movement.

"Good, at least the smell is gone." Gaara said, dragging his eyes away from that perfect body to focus on his manga again. With Naruto's body constantly on display, there was no way he was ever going to finish the stupid story. He could have easily finished the night before if it wasn't for his damn accident! Still, despite his curses, his teal eyes soon found themselves focused on his roommate once more as Naruto crossed the room and crouched down by his dresser to search for clean clothes.

Gaara watched intently as the muscles of the blonde's back, dusted with the occasional droplet of water from his hair, tensed with each movement. He followed one of those droplets with his gaze right down until it hit the low-hanging towel around his waist. The very top of the idiot's backside was peeking out of the towel, teasing Gaara cruelly.

"Aha!" Naruto said happily, obviously finding whatever clothes he had been looking for. Gaara's eyes practically bulged out of his skull once that towel was dropped right there to reveal two perfect, toned ass cheeks to the world…and something visible dangling between…Instantly, Gaara's eyes were forcibly torn away from the sight and back to his manga until he was sure Naruto was fully clothed. The temptation to take a look at his roommate naked was damn strong but…he resisted somehow. He hadn't seen anything in detail and he was proud of himself. Though somewhat disappointed…"So…how do ya wanna kill time?" The blonde asked, completely oblivious to the perverted thoughts of the tattooed boy.

Gaara was going to hell…

* * *

The two of them spent the night chatting about this and that, nothing really important. It was mostly small talk with a good deal of jokes, playful insults and challenges of intelligence until they were both ready for an early night. Tomorrow was Sunday- the last day before courses began- so there was a lot to do to prepare. The more sleep they got the better, even if just to get into the routine necessary for the term ahead.

This time they stuck to their own beds and, secretly, they both missed the others company. They both had different reasons for missing the closeness they had shared but the mutual feeling of loss was still there…

With the previous night just a memory, they returned to old routines. Gaara would awake during the night and leave the room…and Naruto…well…

"_P-please…Naruto!" His lover moaned once more as he thrust deeper in passion and longing. He was desperate for release and the person beneath him was the only current means of getting it. So tight and hot and good…it was perfect._

"_Almost there, baby." He moaned lowly in their ear, almost like a growl, as he started increasing the roughness and speed of his thrusts- pumping his cock deeper inside them. _

_His faceless, nameless lover always pleased him in his dreams- usually taking the form of a random girl whose appearance changed each dream. But this time was different…this time the form his lover took wasn't random at all._

"_Naruto!"_

"_It's coming, baby."_

"_Ugh…"_

"_G-Gaara!"_

* * *

**A/N:**** Well, there you have it. A lot of progression happened between the two of them, as I'm sure you'll agree. It's becoming clear they both have something the other needs emotionally and…Naruto's having dirty dreams about his roommate? But he's straight! :O**

**Anyway, I know many of you were hoping for the boxers to come off this chapter but come on guys. Wouldn't you rather Naruto's manhood was beautifully described during an intimate scene with our favourite redhead? Think about it…**

**That and I'm a major tease!**

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Leave a review to let me know your thoughts!**


	6. Strange

**A/N:**** Thanks for the reviews of last chapter; I'm glad people liked it. This one was a lot easier to write and thus, has come a lot quicker. You'll notice (and anyone who knows me from my previous stories will know) I alternate between very quick, rapid updates and the occasional slow update. When a chapter is particularly important or difficult to tackle, I like to take my time. So that's why every now and then a chapter may take a while.**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Warnings: Strong language, reference to sexual scenes**

* * *

**Strange**

'_Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!'_ Naruto rushed to the bathroom, cursing himself, hormones, dreams and life itself. He was completely freaking out and was glad no one was around to see it. _'What's wrong with me?!'_ He growled, hurriedly turning on the tap and splashing his sweaty face with cold water in hopes it would wash away all his problems. Needless to say it didn't. The blonde looked up at the mirror, his reflection staring back at him in confusion and horror. What was going on?

Naruto's usual sex-related dream was usually rather pleasant. In fact, the only unpleasant thing about it was the fact it reminded him how long it had been since the last time he actually had sex. But this time it had been _extremely_ unpleasant. More like a nightmare than a dream. His nameless, faceless lover had morphed into an image of…of…Gaara! The voice moaning his name had been _Gaara's_! The body clenching around him had been _Gaara's_!

'_Calm down, Naruto.'_ He took a deep breath, straightening up in an attempt to relax. _'It was a dream. The stuff Ino said probably just messed with your head and made you…dream about _that_.'_ That's all it was- a harmless dream. Meaningless. Nothing to worry about. People couldn't help what they dreamed about so why bother thinking about it? Right?

But then why had it been so good?

Naruto wasn't gay or bi or anything other than straight! That was something he was absolutely certain of! He was very secure in his own sexuality. He often joked around and he and Kiba would pretend to be a couple for the sake of humor but that was just further proof of his security. He'd never once been attracted to another dude. He could admit when a guy was good-looking but there was a difference between noticing that and reacting to it. Was it normal for guys to have the occasional dream about other guys? Maybe it was…maybe it was just that no one admitted it.

'_Look at it this way, Naruto.'_ He began, gathering all his thoughts together. _'You've had one dream about a guy and thousands about girls! Compared to all the dreams about banging chicks, this one's not worth remembering. It don't mean anything.'_ And, strangely, that thought was comforting. It was logical. Naruto sighed heavily and forced himself to smile at his bemused reflection. He could move past this and get over it. He'd probably find it funny by the end of the day. Hell, he probably wouldn't even remember it tomorrow after tonight's female-focused dream. Everything was going to be fine...absolutely fine…

'_G-Gaara!'_ Naruto gulped as his own lust-filled voice moaned out inside his head. He remembered the dream so damn well. Bending down, he splashed his face again and again in desperation. This just couldn't be happening. The worst thing was he was still hard. How the hell could he still be horny at a time like this?! Sometimes he really hated his perverted mind.

'_I need to get laid, that's all.'_ Naruto reminded himself, remembering that he hadn't had any attention since breaking up with Sakura. He was a horny teenager so it was only natural to start marvelling at how soft Gaara's skin was and how inviting his lips looked and…what he was trying to say was that it made sense to start noticing that stuff when he was so sexually starved. He hadn't even masturbated for a week after all! In fact, Naruto didn't actually masturbate much at all…

That's right. This was no big deal. It was just the silly response of a young man who was in desperate need of release. His horny mind had latched onto Gaara because it was so unsatisfied. If Naruto was getting some regularly then that dream would have never happened. It meant absolutely nothing! Nothing…

* * *

Gaara breathed in deeply, allowing the cool morning air to fill his lung, before gently exhaling. He was fond of how pure the morning air was and how soothing it felt to breathe in. It really helped comfort a troubled mind and ease the weight of any problems he had. It was fresh and untouched, not yet polluted by the hustle of cursed teenagers going about their lewd business. He liked it that way. He liked it to be perfect.

With a gentle sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair as he followed the path closely. He'd spent the morning sat under his new favourite tree and was heading back to his room. No doubt Naruto was awake by now and preparing a poor excuse of a breakfast. Gaara didn't really have any interest in seeing his roommate right now. His interest in the blonde was undeniable at this stage and it was obvious that he had feelings for the idiot but Gaara was a realist and the reality was that indulging those feelings of his would only cause complications. Naruto's sexuality didn't even come into it. Regardless of the blonde's preference, there was simply no chance of him sharing Gaara's interest. Naruto was happy, optimistic, outgoing, an extrovert and warmer than anything in the world. Gaara, however, was dull, empty, realistic, a loner and introverted…and cold…so cold…

Just because he realised that he was capable of regular emotion didn't change facts. Even if his cold demeanour was a shell, it made little difference. He could imagine exactly what Naruto would want from a relationship- joy, affection, appreciation and love. Gaara simply couldn't supply him with any of them. That was the end of the matter. They were far too different and the idea of a relationship was far too convoluted and absurd.

Gaara had no intention of lingering on such fantasies nor of pursuing them. He would simply carry on with life until his heart adjusted to his mind's logic. He'd go through college and then he and his roommate would go their separate ways- a short-lived and ultimately fragile interaction with no hope of eternity. That was the reality. And Gaara was happy with that. Even if a relationship was sparked, how long would it last? A week? A few days? A few hours? Too many complications would arise. His hatred of the blonde's invasive personality and his own lack of capability for affection would destroy any hope.

'_I just need to focus on trying not to kill the bastard.'_ The redhead mused, ruffling his own hair briefly (secretly remembering the way Naruto had done it for him the day before.) It was that moment that Gaara became aware of someone following him. He scowled, ears tuning to their gentle footsteps, as he slowed his own pace. It wasn't Naruto, that much he could work out in an instant. The blonde was too loud and enthusiastic. Stopping abruptly, Gaara turned his head to glare over his shoulder at the stalker coldly.

"Can I help you with something?" He spat viciously, hoping to scare whoever it was off rather than gain an answer. With most people, the harsh bitterness of his voice sent then running, but this person made no move to leave. Instead, they stopped a little away from Gaara and stared him in the face. _'Great. Now I have to deal with some moron in over his head.'_ The redhead cursed. He was used to fighting so the idea didn't move him but, the more he focused the more he realised that the stalker didn't seem the type to start fights. It was a young man, a little older looking than Gaara himself, around Naruto's height but of much smaller build. His form was slender rather than muscular and he didn't particularly seem strong enough to beat many people in a fight. He was dressed rather simply in an outfit of no particular interest and wore a pair of round spectacles on the bridge of his nose. His hair was silver, despite his youth, and pulled back into a ponytail with short bangs framing his forehead. The eyes behind those glasses were analysing Gaara with interest.

"Help?" He queried, rolling the word on his tongue as though considering it. "I wouldn't say 'help' exactly. If anything I just wanted to meet you, Gaara." The redhead rolled his teal eyes as he realised the harmlessness of this weird stalker. Gaara hadn't met enough people for his name to become common knowledge. For this man to know him by name meant he went to the effort of finding it out. In other words- he really was a stalker.

"Nice to meet you." Gaara hissed sarcastically, turning his head away as he prepared to continue walking and ignore the stranger completely.

"Hold on," the man called behind him. "You're Naruto's roommate, aren't you?"

'_So this is Uzumaki's fault.'_ Gaara inwardly growled. _'I'll make him pay for causing me bother.'_

"What of it?" He turned his head again to shoot an even more hateful glare towards the grey-haired man.

"I was just interested, that's all." Such an unsatisfying answer, especially so early in the morning when Gaara was particularly grouchy. "I wanted to know what kind of person was sharing a room with Naruto."

"The kind who doesn't have a lot of patience at this time of day." Gaara warned firmly, hoping the man would take a hint and piss off soon. Instead, the glasses-wearing burden just chuckled and reached up to push his spectacles up the bridge of his nose.

"I didn't mean to aggravate you, Gaara." He said with an amused smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I just happened to see you wandering around by yourself and thought it would be an opportune moment to introduce myself." Gaara very much doubted the man had 'just happened' to see him- more like followed him. He also wanted to point out that the stranger hadn't technically introduced himself but he didn't really want to know the other's name anyway so it suited him just fine. "My name's-"

"Whatever," the redhead mumbled, turning away for the final time to head back to the dorms. He really couldn't care any less and had no interest in staying in the presence of such a creep for more than a second. "I don't know what you want but you expected too much." With that, Gaara left his presence with such a sense of finality that he was sure that not even this stalker would persist. And, just as expected, the sounds of following footsteps couldn't be heard as Gaara made his way back to his room. He had succeeded in dissuading the creep and that improved his mood a little…

The man chuckled slightly, pushing the glasses up his nose once again as he watched Gaara slowly disappear from view, knowing full well he was returning to Naruto. He wasn't that easy to dishearten so Gaara's cold attitude didn't really affect him all that much. In fact, if anything, it amused him a great deal. He realised that the redhead couldn't be any more different from his roommate and that that was sure to cause some issues. After all, they were being forced to live in such close quarters of one another. Differences always caused friction in such circumstances.

"Have it your way, Gaara," the grey-haired man whispered to himself. "I don't mind your rudeness one little bit. I came here in hopes of extending a hand of friendship, whether you accepted it or not wasn't really the issue. But at least now you know I exist and that's good enough for now. Besides, this won't be the last time we meet." He adjusted his glasses once more before turning in the direction of his own dorm room, feeling rather pleased with how things had gone in general. "This year's going to be very interesting." He muttered amusedly before heading off gleefully.

* * *

"Hey, Gaara!" Naruto greeted him with a grin as the redhead closed the door behind himself. "I went out and bought some stuff from the little shop down the road so we actually have something decent to eat. I didn't know what you liked so I didn't get you anything yet, but just let me know what you want and I'll fetch it!" The blonde was far too enthusiastic for the morning, the volume of his happiness really bearing into Gaara's aching head.

"What are you having?" Gaara asked dejectedly, wanting to make things as simple as possible as he hung up his jacket on the peg.

"Ramen!"

"R-ramen?" He repeated quizzically, turning to stare at his roommate as though he were absolutely insane. Sure enough, Naruto was sat on the kitchen counter with a small pot in one hand and ramming noodles into his mouth with the other (with the aid of chopsticks.) Gaara was completely bemused, having never heard of such odd eating habits before. "For breakfast?"

"Oh, sure," the blonde said around his mouthful of noodles. "Ramen's good for any meal!"

"You're kidding, right?" Gaara pressed, hoping that this was a misjudged joke on Naruto's part but, despite his cheeks full of food, the blonde actually looked completely serious. Sighing heavily at yet another thing he couldn't understand about his roommate, Gaara headed over to open the window to let it some of that soothing morning air.

"Nope! So, what ya want?"

"I'm fine for now."

"Gaara," Naruto began seriously. "You haven't had breakfast since you got here. I'm not letting you skip it this time."

"Fine, just get me whatever." The redhead scowled, pushing the window open with more effort than he would have liked to put in. "Just not ramen."

"Great!" Naruto grinned, hopping off the counter and putting his own 'breakfast' down. "Most important meal of the day, ya know!"

"Whatever…"

"Are you okay?" The blonde asked as he opened the fridge, looking over at his roommate with slight concern. That look made Gaara feel sick. He didn't like the thought of Naruto genuinely caring about him on any scale. "You're always quiet but you seem kinda…distracted?" He asked, searching for a better word as he pulled some bacon out the fridge and closed the door behind him.

That much was true. Even though Gaara really didn't care about the odd stalker from earlier, he couldn't help but keep thinking about him. Maybe he should have waited to hear the man's name; at least then his curiosity wouldn't keep pestering him.

"It's nothing, just…" he trailed off thoughtfully, wondering whether or not he should actually tell Naruto about what had happened. It wasn't really worth talking about and he expected the blonde would make a bigger deal out of it than was necessary.

"Just?" Naruto pressed on as he fetched the frying pan and oil, getting ready to start cooking.

"It's…nothing." Gaara mumbled finally. "I was just thinking about my course tomorrow." That bullshit answer seemed enough to satisfy the blonde idiot and actually made him smile.

"Ah, me too! Kinda exciting but kinda depressing at the same time, huh?" The redhead nodded in agreement despite the fact that he had actually given little to know thought about his course at all. He wasn't interested in how it went because, to him, it was just a way to pass the time and avoid the working world. Whether it was good or not or whether he passed or not was of little consequence. He didn't possess the motivation to bother with it. "You given any thought to whether or not you're gonna take up the Social Care course?"

"Huh?" That question actually surprised Gaara slightly. It had been three days since the two of them had discussed their courses on the day they met so he found the fact that Naruto remembered he was considering another course rather unexpected. He himself had forgotten he'd even told his roommate about that. "Oh, er…I think I'll apply for it Tuesday and decide whether or not to drop the Philosophy course based on how it goes tomorrow."

"You don't really seem to care much?" Naruto pointed out quizzically as he started cooking the bacon- it's intrusive sizzle filling the brief silence that followed the blonde's words.

"Not really."

"How come?"

"I just don't." Gaara hissed, started to get annoyed with the questions. "I don't have any worthwhile plans for the future to work towards so whatever course I do here doesn't matter. It's just something to fill my days with."

"Oh…" Naruto mumbled, seeming a little…disappointed? "Well, wh…what about helping children in the system?" He asked, looking over at his roommate with a hopeful gleam. "I thought that was…a really nice thing to work at. I thought…"

"That was just a passing thought, nothing serious." Gaara muttered dejectedly, ignoring the look of hurt and sadness that crossed that handsome face. He didn't want to hurt Naruto's feelings but he wasn't about to put unnecessary effort in just to please the idiot. "Truth is I don't want to be here at all. The only reason I came is because Temari was pressuring me to get a job and I'm not really suited for the working world. If I could I'd go back home without another thought." He hadn't meant it to come out so bitter and harsh, but the truth had to be told.

"You're bacon's ready." Naruto mumbled, plating it up and leaving it on the counter for him. "Hope you like it." With that, the blonde headed over to his bed and sat down. He pulled out his mobile and started tapping away at the screen, completely ignoring his roommate.

'_Is he…sulking…?'_ Gaara watched him for a moment, waiting for the idiot to suddenly leap up and proclaim the whole thing was some kind of dumb joke, but Naruto showed no signs of doing such a thing. He remained oddly and eerily silent as he continue texting- or whatever he was doing- and didn't even look up once. Also in silence, Gaara headed over to his plate of bacon. He decided to ignore Naruto and wait until he was back to his old self. At least now he had some peace and quiet whilst inside his own room. It was comforting to know he didn't have to go for a walk to get away from the idiot's irritating personality. Still…it was odd…

Nevertheless, Gaara stood by the counter and ate his bacon with a clear head. He had to admit, Naruto had prepared a pretty good breakfast in just moments and it was far better than anything Temari had ever made him- his sister was a terrible cook. Honestly, it should be illegal for that woman to step foot in the kitchen. Then again, neither Kankuro or Gaara were prepared to play 'cook' so back in Sunagakure it was her food or none at all…Gaara still thought none was the best option.

"I'm spending the day with Ino." Naruto announced suddenly, getting to his feet and ramming his phone into his jacket pocket. He headed straight for the front door, not once glancing Gaara's way, and the redhead merely remained silent as he left. Behind him, the man left a cold and empty atmosphere. Naruto had mentioned nothing of spending the day with Ino- in fact he had strongly implied the day before that he was spending the day with Gaara in the room. That, coupled with the minutes of texting before his departure, left the tattooed teen to suspect that their day together had been arranged just then. Naruto hadn't seemed angry or moody; if anything he'd seemed hurt and upset…the kind of mood you'd expect from someone who had been horridly insulted.

Not once in the last few days had Gaara seen this side of his roommate. Naruto had been nothing but cheery and happy since Thursday and the sudden change was rather…displeasing? Gaara liked consistency- let's leave it at that.

'_Oh, well. Looks like a whole day of peace and quiet.'_ He thought to himself, deciding he didn't care in the slightest. It's not like Uzumaki's thoughts and feelings were his concern anyway.

* * *

Naruto was glad when he caught sight of the woman, a small smile spreading onto his face. He'd headed straight to the college's main office as Ino had instructed via text and, sure enough, she was there. As soon as Ino enrolled, she applied for a student job in the college's office for the sake of both improving her CV and getting access to information. She was, after all, the one who knew everything about anything. Working at the office was just another means to that end. With courses starting the next day, Ino had been called in to help prepare some stuff- Naruto hadn't really paid attention to the details.

"Hey, you." She said with that beautiful smile of hers, pulling the man into a warm hug before pulling away and reaching up to flick him on the nose.

"Ouch!" Naruto cried, reaching up to rub his injury soothingly. "What was that for?!"

"For bothering me when I'm working." She scolded.

"But you said in your text-"

"I'm so glad you did though. I. Am. Bored." Ino said, her smile returning as she waved towards a pile of papers on the desk- something she'd obviously been working on. It was then that Naruto caught sight of the room's other occupant- a man sat at the desk quietly, tapping away at the keyboard. He remembered the man from previous encounters and knew that he too was a student working at the office.

"Hey, Kabuto." He said with a smile, nodding his way. The grey-haired man looked up from the computer screen and offered a small smile in return, returning the nod.

"Naruto," he said in greeting, before returning his attention to the screen. With their exchange done, Naruto turned to face Ino once more with his trademark pout on his face.

"If you're glad I bothered you, why'd you flick me?"

"Regardless of whether I'm happy about it or not, Naruto, you should know better than to interrupt me when I'm working." She said with a teasing smirk, giving him a wink which she knew would make him blush- it did. "That said…let's get out of here!"

"But what about…?" The blonde began, glancing towards the pile of papers on the desk. Ino had only been in the office half an hour; she couldn't be done with her work already. However, the woman merely smiled in return, rolling her eyes.

"Kabuto, you don't mind covering my work for me, do you?" She asked sweetly, her eyes fixed on Naruto's face.

"Not at all." Came the simple reply from the content man at the desk. He, like Ino, didn't change the focus of his attention- still focusing on the computer screen as he typed away.

"Thanks, hun. I'll make sure to pay you back." She said in that smooth, innocent tone of hers. "Anyway, let's go find something to do while we talk about what's bothering you." Ino added, turning to wrap her arms around one of Naruto's- dangling off his frame in a way that might imply they were more than friends. Of course, that wasn't the case, that was merely the way their friendship was.

"Alright," he said with a smile. "See ya around, Kabuto."

"Later, Naruto." The spectacle-wearing man said, looking up briefly to offer a slight smirk,

"Bye, Kabuto! Thanks for covering for me!" Ino shouted, waving as she led Naruto out the door. "Love you!" Naruto couldn't help but notice that her niceness was a little forced- probably because Kabuto was doing her a massive favour.

"Is there anything between you and him?" Naruto asked teasingly, nudging her with the arm she was holding onto once they were out of his earshot.

"Oh, god no." She said instantly, giggling at the idea.

"Well, that was harsh."

"Oh, I didn't mean it in a horrible way." She clarified. "Kabuto's gay. Not even _I'm_ good enough to seduce the gay ones. Not that I'm out to do such a horrid thing mind you."

"He's gay?" Naruto asked, slightly bewildered.

"Yup." She smiled. "Though he's one of those people who won't pay any attention to someone unless they're _really_ special so that's probably why you haven't heard anything about him being in a relationship."

"Oh," the blonde muttered in realisation. "guess that makes sense."

"So…you said something was bothering you?" Ino asked, moving straight onto the issue her friend had raised through text earlier.

"Well…" Naruto began, knowing this was gonna be a long day. Good thing he had Ino to make it better. "It's about Gaara."

"I shoulda known." She giggled.

* * *

"What a coincidence," Kabuto muttered amusedly as he watched the redhead walk in. "your roommate was in here not long ago."

"You." Gaara hissed, instantly recognising the stalker from earlier to be the smirking man behind the desk. This he hadn't been expecting. Narrowing his eyes coldly, he shot the grey-haired man the dirtiest look he could, making it well known that he didn't like him and certainly didn't appreciate seeing him again so soon. The man, however, merely cocked his head to one side in mock confusion, pretending he didn't understand the redhead's anger.

"I'm Kabuto Yakushi," he said in a rather professional tone of voice. "I work here at the college's main office. Is there anything I can help you with, Mr…?" He trailed off, asking for Gaara's name with such a cursed smirk on his face it made the tattooed teen sick. He was mocking him. He was literally taking the piss for the sake of satisfying his own twisted sense of humor. Gaara didn't appreciate it, nor was he going to bother doing anything to entertain it. He could have exploded with rage and snapped at the man, but that would accomplish nothing and he had a feeling it would only make Kabuto laugh.

"I want a course application form." He stated bluntly, dragging his glare away from the man.

"Ah, very well." Kabuto said, reaching over to search a file of documents laid out on his desk. "You must excuse the lack of organisation. I was in the middle of sorting everything out for the up-coming term so nothing is really where it should be at the moment."

"Hm." Gaara hummed in reply, wanting this to hurry up and end so he could get out of there. He wasn't sure how long he could put up with this man. There was something about him that was infuriating.

"Are you planning to switch courses or simply apply for another as well as the one you've already secured a place on?" He asked, glancing between two different forms he had found, before looking up at Gaara with that smirk still plastered on his face.

"For now I just want to apply for a new one. I may drop my current one during the week." Gaara grunted, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Ah, well then..." Kabuto left one of the forms on the desk, extending the other out the redhead. "you'll be needing this." Gaara snatched it off him bitterly, shoving it in his pocket and turning to leave- hoping it would be the last time he ever saw the stalker.

"If you plan on dropping your course, you'll need to come back here so I can alter your file and do it on this computer." The man said nonchalantly, knowing full well how much it would piss Gaara off. "You'll also need to return that form to this desk by Tuesday. Courses can be dropped and sometimes switched at any time with no particular issue but applying for a new one entirely is a bit more problematic. The sooner you get that form back to me, the easier it will be to secure your place." Gaara bit his lip in annoyance. If Kabuto was implying he should stay and fill out the form now, he had another thing coming. The grey-haired man was doing a good job of making sure it would be impossible for Gaara to avoid him.

"Look, you." The redhead hissed.

"Kabuto." The man offered, in the way that people did when giving another permission to use their first name instead of formality. He was toying with Gaara, acting as though nothing were wrong.

"I don't know what your game is or why you're fixated on me but I'm warning you not to test me."

"I'm sorry, Gaara, but I'm not sure I know what you mean." He said, smirk growing. "I apologise if my attempts at friendship this morning came across poorly but I can assure you I have no untoward intentions towards you. I've never really been that good at making friends so I can understand if you got the wrong idea. Either way, I have absolutely no 'game' and am certainly not 'fixated' on you." Gaara's brow twitched slightly in annoyance. Kabuto was playing the innocent game. Whether there was truth in his words or not, it didn't change the fact that he was amused by Gaara's reaction. "However, I will take your warning into account and will make sure to tread more carefully in future."

"Hm." The redhead hummed again, walking right out the door before he was pushed too far again.

"Have a nice day!" Kabuto called after him.

Even with his back turned, Gaara could imagine the man's smirk.

'_Did he say Naruto had been there earlier?'_

* * *

**A/N:**** Well, there you go!**

**Kabuto Yakushi has officially been introduced to the plot. He'll be playing a part in this story, though he probably won't become all that important until later, either way let me know what you thought of his introduction and this chapter in general!**

**Gaara's lack of motivation in life is coming back into focus again and it's obviously causing some friction between him and Naruto so we'll have to see how it pans out, huh? **

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed. Leave a review with your thoughts!**


	7. Innocence

**A/N:**** This chapter was a difficult one to get through and I redid it a few times. Originally the chapter was going to cover Sunday and Monday but I found it too cluttered and rushed so I cut it down and edited it a bit. I like this version a great deal more and the stuff I cut out will come in handy when writing the next chapter. Also, the title of this chapter is explained in the author's note at the bottom. **

**Anyway, I hope you all enjoy.**

**Thank you for your lovely reviews so far.**

**Warnings: Strong language**

* * *

**Innocence**

"Okay," Ino began, realising that Naruto had _finally_ finished ranting about the events of that morning. She had never met anyone who could ramble on for as long or with as much energy as her best friend did but man, was it tiring! "So what exactly is it that upset you?"

"Well…" Naruto trailed off for a moment, either choosing his words carefully or trying to work out the answer. "When Gaara mentioned he wanted to help kids in the system…it made me really happy, y'know? 'Cause there's not that much help out there and if I'd have been offered some it would have made all the difference. I thought it was a really cool idea. I know it's his life and everything, but...seeing him just, like, dismiss it like that- like it was nothing- was really sad."

"Uh-huh," the girl offered in agreement, starting to understand where he was coming from. She was always the best when it came to understanding Naruto and his feelings- not because she had experienced anything similar, but because she knew him so well and had seen the effects first hand.

"And then when he said he'd go home without a thought if he could…" Naruto lowered his head, staring down into his cup of coffee with a solemn and disheartened look on his face. He looked like a puppy that had just been kicked…_hard_. "I thought we were becoming friends, ya know? But obviously he doesn't care much." The blonde pouted, taking a sip out of his cup once he'd finished.

The two of them had headed to Ino's favourite coffee shop- which was often empty so early in the morning- which gave them time to talk and the chance to get some warm drinks. A cup of coffee was just what was needed when having a heart-to-heart…Ino thought so anyway.

"Sounds to me," the blonde woman began, placing her own cup down on the table as she thought things through. "as though Gaara has absolutely zero motivation in life."

"What do ya mean?" Naruto queried, blue eyes glancing up at her. She loved how he always hung on her every word.

"He applied for college to avoid the working world; he takes the _Philosophy_ course of all courses, when there's actually a course he might be interested in he doesn't bother; he has no plans for the future and he can't even apply himself to making friends." Ino listed all the facts she'd picked up from Naruto's ramblings, counting them off on her fingers as she did. "He has no motivation- nothing driving him. He's the kind of person who has no reason to look forward to anything, therefore doesn't need to work towards the future. No ambition. He's the complete opposite of you, Naruto."

"So what can I do?" The man asked desperately, his face glimmering with determination and focus- the kind Gaara's was always lacking.

"Nothing." Ino answered truthfully. "You can't give him motivation or force ambition on him. He's got to want it and find it himself." And with those wise words, she took another sip of coffee with a content smile. Naruto's problem had been an easy one to answer and had a clear solution- don't worry about it. He couldn't control Gaara's thoughts and emotions so there was simply nothing else to do.

"There must be _something_!" But still he persisted. Naruto Uzumaki was not the kind to accept that nothing could be done and take a backseat- Ino should know that by now. Sighing heavily, she placed her cup down again and stared into the man's blue eyes thoughtfully.

"Well…" she began, an idea coming to her. "Kabuto did tell me that Pein's planning another one of his little things tomorrow after courses end. That guy has a habit of motivating people so maybe he can get through to Gaara."

"Really? Ya think?"

"I said _maybe_, Naruto." She warned, shooting him a look. "Just take Gaara along to watch and see how he responds. He likes music, right?"

"I…don't really know…" the man said dejectedly, realising how little he knew about his roommate.

"Well, just take him." She said with finality. "And make sure you take some money to donate to the world hunger and poverty project. You know what happens when you don't donate." Naruto visibly shuddered at the thought, remembering the first time he had gotten on Pein's bad side. He'd ended up slammed on the ground before he could even realise what was happening. Since then, he had always made sure to avoid pissing the older man off at all costs. He knew full well the exact amount of money that was considered 'acceptable' to donate in order to avoid getting his ass kicked. Sometimes he'd even donate more just so the man would show any shred of kindness towards him.

"Got it."

"And for the love of God, make sure Gaara watches his attitude." Ino added, giggling slightly at the thought. "I don't care how vast his experience is when it comes to school yard scraps, picking a fight with Pein only ends in one way." Naruto gulped as he begun to daydream about the possible results. Maybe taking Gaara wasn't such a good idea…You can't have any motivation if you're dead, after all…Naruto was exaggerating of course. Pein wouldn't actually _kill_ someone…just severely injure them, put them in hospital and stop by later for their 'willingly-given' donation…The one time you always give generously to charity is when _he's_ passing round the bucket- that was for sure!

"I'll do my best."

"Good," Ino smirked at her success to lighten her friend's mood, already coming up with ideas as to how he could make it up to her.

"Thanks, Ino." Naruto said with a smile, reaching across the table to give her hand an appreciative squeeze. "You're awesome. Marry me?"

"Naruto," she began, dropping her voice to breathy whisper of seriousness. "No one can ever take your place as my last resort. When I'm in my forties and all other romantic ventures have failed," Ino smiled reaching over to stroke his cheek in a way some would interpret as loving- if they didn't know she was currently mocking him. "then I'll gladly marry you." Naruto, however, only found her teasing funny and gave her wink before jumping to his feet.

"Right, now that's outta the way we can get on with-"

"Shopping." Ino cut in, also getting to her feet.

"But I don't need anything," Naruto said, glancing over at her in confusion. Ino could only roll her eyes at how oblivious her 'last resort' was.

"Not for you, idiot. You owe me…big-time."

Naruto let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping. A day of shopping with Ino made it highly unlikely he'd have enough money to donate to Pein's charity. He was gonna end up broke- both financially and physically.

* * *

Gaara sighed in frustration. He didn't know why Naruto's bad mood was affecting him so much, but he couldn't help but feel _something_ as a result. His roommate was a bubbly ray of light- depression didn't suit him and it sure as hell didn't make things easier. On the one hand, having Naruto out of the room was helpful and gave the redhead time to clean, on the other knowing he was out there in a foul mood was surprisingly distressing. Gaara only hoped he'd be in a better mood when he returned.

"Nuisance." He muttered under his breath as he finished putting away the now clean dishes and cutlery in their respective drawers and cupboards. The kitchen area was now completely spotless- a great contrast to the state Naruto had left it in- now all that was left was to tackle the bathroom. Gaara wasn't exactly a clean freak, nor did he enjoy cleaning, but he didn't appreciate living in a shithole either. If he had to live in such a stupid dorm, at the very least it was going to stay clean!

The state of the bathroom didn't cheer him up.

"Damn Uzumaki." He cursed in annoyance, eyes scanning the appalling bathroom in disgust. Uncapped toothpaste, water on the floor, wet towels everywhere, dirty clothes thrown around and the occasional blonde hair all added up into a massive, accumulative mess. How could one person cause so much damage? The scale of the chaos would make anyone think a tornado had passed through!

Picking up a pair of Naruto's bright orange boxers with the tip of his finger, Gaara could only shake his head in disbelief. Anyone else in Gaara's situation, carrying the feelings he did, may have found the sight of the blonde's used underwear intriguing or exciting or something…but Gaara wasn't impressed. Without Naruto and his cursed good looks in front of his face, it seemed he could only feel angry and frustrated with his roommate.

Gaara sighed again, dropping the clothing back onto the tiled floor, and tried to imagine this living situation as a long-term thing. Gaara hasn't cried since a very young age but that thought alone made him want to- if he were able. _'I'll have to buy a basket for dirty clothes'_ he thought to himself. _'though I doubt he'll even use it.'_ He added in dismay.

Growling in frustration, Gaara turned his head at the sound of someone knocking on the door. He didn't know how colleges worked yet but he had hoped that once you returned to your room you wouldn't have to worry about other people bothering you…except your damn roommate of course. The fact the person was knocking rather than just barging in made it unlikely that it was Naruto or one of his friends- all of whom had little manners in Gaara's opinion. At first the redhead decided to merely ignore it and wait for whoever it was to go away but, when the knocking continued and it became clear they weren't leaving anytime soon, he sighed in defeat and headed for the door. He really wasn't in the mood to be deal with anyone right now, so he was fully prepared to slam the door in the intruder's face.

"What do you want?" He hissed in annoyance, yanking the door open.

"My, my, such an attitude, Gaara." That all-too-familiar voice actually made the begrudged redhead glance up at the person's face and rage seethed through him at the sight he was met with. Silver hair, round glasses and a smirk which made his blood boil. Without a single word, Gaara moved to slam the door shut…only to find it stopped by his stalker's cursed foot.

"Move." He said simply, the coldness of his voice getting across his own murderous intent. Kabuto, however, remained unaffected.

"I'm here on business, I'm afraid." The young man explained, taking a sheet of paper from atop a pile and extending it to the redhead. Gaara stared at it curiously, but made no move to take it. He was far too suspicious. "A rather prestigious student here, Pein, is hosting a collection for charity tomorrow after courses end. As a member of staff in the main office, and as a member of the Student Union, it fell upon me to inform all students in this dorm building."

"Not interested." Gaara muttered bluntly, glancing down at Kabuto's unmoving foot and back up to his smirking face in warning. He very much doubted it was a coincidence Kabuto had been assigned _his_ dorm building in particular.

"That may be, however I'm still expected to hand you this flier and let you know. It's my duty." Gaara snatched the paper off him and intensified his glare. "Thank you for your time, Gaara. Make sure to let Naruto know about tomorrow's collection. I happen to know that Pein is looking forward to his donation in particular."

"Whatever." The redhead mumbled, only causing Kabuto's smirk to stretch slightly.

"If I'm not working in the main office, I'm most likely in the Student Union building. Just drop in if you need anything."

"Fine." Gaara could tell that his stalker was just trying to get him riled up and earn a reaction, but he wasn't getting one. From what he had learned about Kabuto- what with his work in the main office and his place on the Student Union- he was an active member of the college community. Beating the shit out of him, as appealing as it seemed, would only cause problems for him.

"See you around, Gaara. Say hi to Naruto from me." And with that the foot was removed…and the door was slammed shut as swiftly as possible.

'_Nuisance.'_ Gaara scowled, trying to let his annoyance and frustration just flow out of him. Getting this worked up all the time couldn't be good for his healthy and he'd be damned if Kabuto was going to mess up his health. _'Oh well.'_

Deciding to distract himself, Gaara glanced down at the flier his stalker had given him. He'd mentioned something about a charity event and some guy with a weird name…

_Collection for the World Hunger and Poverty Project_

_Monday at 18:00_

_Main Courtyard_

_Hosted by The Student Union's Akatsuki_

_Donate generously_

_-Pein_

Gaara- oddly- like the fact the flier didn't _ask_ or _beg_ for money. It was blunt and to the point, simply _telling_ people to donate generously. It appealed to him more than the advertisements which would try to earn your sympathy. That may work for some people, but not Gaara. He would rather people were straightforward and direct with him, rather than relying on sob stories. Then again, the event itself may be filled with that kind of stuff, so he didn't get his hopes too high.

'_Pein?'_ The redhead mused, recognising it as the odd name Kabuto had mentioned before. _'He said Pein was a prestigious student and this implies he's part of the Student Union.'_ That was rather interesting, he supposed. The only thing that didn't make sense was that one word- 'Akatsuki'. Whatever it meant, Gaara wasn't too interested and he really had no intention of attending. _'Why is Pein looking forward to Naruto's donation?'_ The redhead questioned, placing the flier down on the kitchen counter as he remembered Kabuto's earlier claim. The two must know one another. He made a mental note to somehow slip it into conversation with the blonde later…if Naruto had snapped out of his mood that is…

* * *

"Yo, Gaara!" Naruto called, hanging his jacket up on the peg as he eyed the redheaded teenager currently reclining in the chair by the desk. "What's up?"

"Just filling out some paperwork," Gaara replied, not even glancing over at his roommate. However, even if Naruto couldn't see it, he had a small smile on his face once he realised that the blonde was back to his usual self. Whatever mood Naruto had fallen into that morning was over…and that made Gaara somewhat happy. "Someone popped by earlier to drop off a flier- it's on the kitchen counter."

"Huh?" Naruto headed over to the piece of paper, eyes skimming over it briefly before he 'ohh'ed in understanding. "Pein's charity thing. Yeah, Ino mentioned it earlier."

"Well, apparently he's looking forward to your donation or something…" Gaara mumbled, turning slightly to watch as his blonde roommate screwed the flier up into a ball and threw it towards the bin- his face full of childish anticipation for the result. His face fell into a frown as the 'ball' bounced off the edge of the bin and landed on the floor and he was very close to pouting. For someone so good at basketball, it was a major fail. Gaara's eyes instantly narrowed into a cold glare once Naruto shrugged off his failure and headed over towards him- leaving the paper ball lying there. Now he understood how this idiot managed to make such a mess. He clearly wasn't in the habit of picking up after himself.

"So what's this paperwork?" Naruto asked, cutting the redhead off before he could comment on the mess. He peered over Gaara's shoulder to study the half-filled-out form with interest, struggling to work it out for himself.

"It's a course application form. I picked it up this morning."

"Application?" The blonde echoed, cocking an eyebrow as his eyes darted from the form to Gaara's face.

"Turns out there's a limited-time offer on applying for a new course so I just decided to go ahead with pursuing the Social Care one." The redhead said, bending the truth ever-so-slightly to avoid any implication that Naruto's sulking earlier had contributed to his decision. As much as he hated to admit it, his heart seemed to actually _flutter_ once he saw the blonde beam at him happily. This damn idiot was really having an effect on him.

"Really? That's awesome!"

"Yeah, well…we'll see how it goes." Gaara mumbled, turning away from his roommate as a smile threatened to spread onto his own face. Seeing Naruto grin at him like that…his happiness was infectious and Gaara was trying so hard not to catch it. He didn't want Naruto to break through to him like that.

"Good job, Gaara." The blonde said, patting the tattooed teen on the shoulder proudly before turning to head towards the bathroom. It took a little while for Gaara to get over the warm feeling that spread throughout him at the show of affection Naruto had offered him. Once he had, he turned to shout after the idiot in annoyance.

"Wait. We need a serious talk about the mess-"

"I'll talk once I'm finished, 'kay?" Naruto interrupted, shutting the bathroom door behind him with a snicker. Gaara was left there, frowning and fully aware that his moron of a roommate had no intention of discussing anything serious with him tonight…or ever…

* * *

Ino let out a satisfied sigh as she slid onto the leather sofa, ignoring the looks she got off her fellow students. She was perfectly content with how the day had gone and the amount of new stuff her shopping bags were filled with. Retail therapy was something that put her in a good mood which simply couldn't be spoilt by _anything_. So even though she was getting some foul looks off people as she entered the Student Union building, she simply didn't care.

"When you asked me to cover for you this morning," Kabuto began, plopping down next to her. "I didn't think you were going to disappear for the rest of the day."

"I'm guessing you all had to hand out Pein's fliers for tomorrow." She said, not as a question but a clear, all-knowing statement. "You're not mad at little, innocent me, are you?"

"Not me," the man replied, chuckling as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "the others however…" he trailed off, glancing at some of the moody members of the Student Union.

"Jealousy is such an ugly thing." Ino muttered, shaking her head in mock depression. "Poor things."

"So, what poor soul paid for all this?" Kabuto queried, glancing inside the bags she'd dumped on the sofa. He couldn't help but note that some of the items weren't really all that cheap.

"Naruto," the woman responded with a sly smile. "I helped cheer him up and this was my reward."

"More like his debt." The man corrected, chuckling at the frown she shot at him. "Him being down didn't have anything to do with his new roommate, did it?"

"Yeah," Ino sighed, remembering her blonde friend's incessant ranting that morning. "Gaara really gets to him."

"I see…" Kabuto smirked mischievously, pushing his glasses up his nose once more- something he did so often Ino was constantly tempted to tape them to his face. However, this time the woman was more focused on the curve of his lips and the amusement in his tone. Such things didn't go unnoticed by her.

"You know, Kabuto," she began, shaking her head slightly. "you're probably the only person I can't figure out."

"Oh?"

"Everyone else, no matter who they are, I'm able to read pretty easily. They can't keep secrets from me. But you…" she surveyed him with a shred of intrigue. "I just come up empty."

"I'm flattered," he nodded her way. "but there's really not much to know. I don't have any dark secrets to hide." He muttered the last sentence in a way which baffled Ino- a way that was unreadable to even her. She was just about to question it further when…

"Kabuto," they were interrupted by a strong, commanding voice from the other side of the Student Union lounge. "I need you to finish copying out those documents. Once you've completed that, you're done for the day."

"I'm on it, Pein." He responded, climbing to his feet with a smirk. "Later," he muttered to Ino, heading off in that mysterious way of his.

"And, Ino,"

"Yes, my handsome and oh-so kind Pein-love?" She said sweetly, sensing the tension in the man's tone. She fluttered her eyelashes at him innocently, knowing full well that her charms never worked on him.

"Don't think you're off the hook." He stated bluntly, nodding towards a stack of papers across the room silently. Ino could only sigh and roll her eyes. She should have known she wouldn't have been able to dance past Pein easily. It seemed retail therapy came at a price after all…

* * *

"Guess you didn't sleep to well last night, huh?" Naruto muttered, glancing over at his redheaded roommate. They were both lying on their individual beds, on their backs and staring up at the ceiling as they made idle chatter. Naruto had his arms up behind his head, using them as a cushion, whilst Gaara kept his over his chest. This had turned into one of their little rituals lately- just lying there and talking. In a way, for Gaara, it was irritating and pointless…but there was also some comfort in it. There was just something so innocent and pure about the intention of getting to know one another. Whenever he found himself lying there, talking to the blonde idiot, the moment always seemed so calm and relaxing…as much as he hated to admit it.

"Not really," the tattooed teen mumbled back. "I couldn't get back to sleep so I went for a walk."

"That sucks," Naruto chirped, head turning back so he could stare up at the ceiling again. "You should have woken me up."

"Why?" Gaara shot, glancing over at the suggestion.

"Well…" cerulean eyes peered back, _almost_ making eye contact. In the end, Gaara turned away before their eyes could meet. He couldn't stand eye contact. "…you seemed to sleep fine when we shared a bed. In fact, it was the only time since you got here that you slept right through the night."

"Tch…" Gaara scoffed, a blush forming on his cheeks as he remembered. He knew the blonde was right, but he just didn't want to admit it. "Yeah, I guess." He mumbled reluctantly.

"Hey, don't worry about it." Naruto offered in that heart-meltingly soft tone of his. "All I'm saying is, don't be afraid of waking me up if you need some company or something. If you're having a bad night you can always bunk up with me."

"As if." The redhead snapped, trying so hard to hide just how much he appreciated the offer of kindness. Naruto really was something special after all. "…Thanks…" he added in a whisper, not wanting to hurt the loveable idiot's feelings again.

"No worries." Gaara didn't even need to look over to know the blonde was smiling- it could be heard in his voice.

…

A moment of comfortable silence passed over the room as the two just lay there. Though they often had their awkward and tense moments, Gaara found that during these night-time chats of theirs lacked any of that. Any silence was nice and calm and any talk was gentle and hushed. He pinned it on the quiet of the night easing both of their personalities- Gaara's sourness and Naruto's bubbly ways- thus making them both more bearable for the other. Either way, he appreciated these moments. He felt warm inside…filled…like life wasn't so pointless. He had a friend. Sure, Naruto was a nuisance. He was messy, annoying, loud, obnoxious and a moron…but he was also kind, loving, gentle and genuine…a true friend. That thought alone brought a slight smile to his face.

"What are you thinking about?" Naruto asked softly, noticing the slight curve of the redhead's lips.

"Nothing really…" Gaara began shyly, afraid to divulge his inner feelings. He decided to alter the truth slightly, to avoid any misunderstanding between them "I guess I'm just coming to terms with the fact that this whole college thing might not be so bad after all."

"Really?" Naruto smiled back, equally as happy. "Because of me?" His voice wasn't boasting or cocky this time…it was gentle and curious…almost hopeful.

"You're one reason, I guess." Gaara muttered, fighting the urge to make a sarcastic comment in response. The grin that covered the blonde's face was worth it.

"Hey, Gaara?"

"What?" He glanced over at the idiot briefly.

"What does that tattoo on your forehead mean?" Naruto asked curiously, blue eyes scanning the blood-red symbol with interest. It had been bugging him since the two met, but he hadn't asked in fear of angering or provoking Gaara. But, as they were now, he felt comfortable and secure enough to finally ask.

"…" Gaara considered the question for a moment, reaching up to run his pale fingers over the tattoo in thought, before finally deciding to open up a bit. How much harm could it possibly cause? "It's the kanji symbol for love."

"Love?" Naruto repeated, blinking in surprise. He'd expected something…darker? 'Love' wasn't exactly what popped into his mind when he saw a guy like Gaara rocking that tattoo. "Why'd you get it done?"

"To remind myself…I suppose…" the boy mumbled, flattening his hand so his palm covered the tattoo as his eyes fell close. This conversation was going in a dangerous direction and he was starting to worry about things going wrong. But…the quiet of the night and Naruto's soft voice…he couldn't help but lower his guard. "To remind myself that love once existed."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, lowering his voice as he sensed the redhead's discomfort. He could see Gaara tensing slightly, but he knew it wasn't from annoyance. If he was right…he was starting to get through the rough shell of Gaara Subaku.

"I…It's a long story…"

"Well then, just tell me the beginning for now."

"Why do you care so much?" Gaara snapped, eyes opening to shoot the Uzumaki a cold glare. However, the blonde's gentle smile and his reply were enough to finally chip the armour.

"Because we're friends."

…

Another comfortable silence between them passed, during which Gaara became mesmerized by his roommate's handsome face. There was something about Naruto. He didn't need much time, or many words, but he was able to make you feel cared about, loved and warm. He made you feel able to trust him. That was his power.

"My uncle…and my mother…they were the two people who truly loved me." Gaara mumbled, eyes moving away from his roommate's beauty. He couldn't look at Naruto whilst saying this. That was too much to ask for. "My mother died in childbirth but my uncle always made sure to remind me how much she cared for me…so it didn't matter that she wasn't around, I still felt loved."

"What was your uncle's name?" Naruto asked, voice slightly shaky from emotion Gaara couldn't work out.

"Yashamaru."

"But what about your dad…and your brother and sister?"

"Well…" the redhead took a deep breath as he gathered his thoughts and tried to phrase things properly. "…my father never got over my mother's death. Because she died in childbirth, he saw me as the cause and blamed me-" he ignored Naruto's shocked gasp and carried on, "so he never showed me love. He raised Kankuro and Temari to think the same so they hated me for a long time. It wasn't until they were older that they realised how unfair father was being. Since then we've become close but…I haven't been able to open up to them."

"…" Naruto remained silent, studying the redhead's face curiously as he spoke.

"I was mostly hated in Sunagakure and seen as a freak- mostly my father's influence on the people. I used to get so upset about it…" Gaara smiled solemnly as a memory flew into his mind. "I remember once that I got so down about it, I crawled into Yashamaru's bed at night and broke down. I cried and cried and he just held me. The only thing he said was 'you're loved' over and over so I wouldn't forget. Afterwards, he made a bad joke about having to change the sheets because of how wet my tears had made them and we just burst out laughing."

"Heh…" Naruto smiled gently.

"Despite how upset I was…we still managed to find something to laugh about. He reminded me I was loved and that's all I needed to be happy for a while." The redhead's smile slowly faded. He gulped down his emotion as he continued, knowing he couldn't end the story now. "When my uncle passed away too, all that love seemed to disappear. I know that he and my mother had loved me and nothing will change that but…I had no one to tell me that anymore, nothing to remind me of that love. It became a distant memory…almost like it never existed." Gaara sighed heavily. "Because everyone else hated me, I guess it wasn't that hard to forget that I was ever loved."

"So the tattoo…?"

"I got it done when I was twelve. I stole someone's I.D and asked for the kanji symbol for 'love' as a reminder. Without Yashamaru to remind me every day, I felt like I needed something. Now, whenever I look in the mirror, I can remember them."

"And the love they had for you…" Naruto added quietly, finally beginning to understand his roommate on a deeper level than he ever imagined. He also knew the feeling of being unloved all too well and his heart ached for Gaara as he listened to the other boy talk about his past.

"W-what are you doing?" Gaara snapped, sitting bolt-upright as his roommate slid off his own bed and walked across the room to his.

"Shh…" the blonde hushed him, pulling Gaara into a gentle and loving embrace. He held the tattooed teen's head against his chest, one hand tangled in his hair and the other tracing soothing circles on his back. He could feel Gaara tremble in his hold but he knew this was his chance to truly show the other what friendship was- what it truly meant. Without thinking, Naruto leant down to plant a gentle kiss on the 'love' tattoo, smiling softly against the smooth skin of Gaara's forehead. With that one display of affection, Naruto whispered just two, simple words…"You're loved."

* * *

_This innocence is brilliant,_

_I hope that it will stay._

_This moment is perfect,_

_Please don't go away._

* * *

**A/N:**** Well, that chapter's done.**

**So, we've gotten Gaara's past out in the open and some more bonding between the two shown. **

**The lyrics at the end are from the song 'Innocence' by Avril Lavigne (and the title of the chapter was named after the song.) Though I'm not a fan of hers, someone suggested to me that the song reminded them of this story and, after listening to it, I couldn't help but agree. If you haven't heard the song, please look it up and give it a listen. In a way, it is a good representation of this fic so far and what it's leading to. From now on, I plan to listen to it every now and then- especially when writing scenes with Naruto and Gaara together. **

**Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to the next one!**

**Let me know what you thought by reviewing.**


	8. Pein's Song

**A/N:**** Thank you all for your reviews, I'm glad the last chapter was enjoyed so much.**

**A lot happens this chapter and I hope you enjoy it. Two new characters are introduced this chapter so I'd like your opinion on them and whether you'd like to see more of them in the future. **

**Make sure to let me know what you thought with your amazing reviews. **

**Warnings: Strong language**

* * *

**Pein's Song**

Naruto watched silently as the boy in his arms desperately tried to fight off sleep with a stubbornness which was both sweet and admirable. Despite how obviously heavy Gaara's eyelids were, they kept blinking open in defiance- as though he didn't want to admit just how sleepy he was. Studying those teal eyes, visible through the boy's eyelashes, the blonde couldn't help but feel elated. His suspicions had just been confirmed and it swelled him with pride. He was now certain that, regardless of how defensive the redhead could be, Naruto's presence had a calming effect on him that nothing else did. It explained why Gaara slept through the night when they accidentally shared a bed and it explained why the insomniac was currently trying so hard to stay awake.

"It's okay," Naruto whispered softly, rocking slightly as he held the tattooed teen in his arms. "Just sleep, Gaara." He had expected the hug to have been brushed off and for Gaara to act annoyed, but he went ahead with it anyway to show the redhead that he wasn't alone. However, to his surprise, Gaara hadn't moved or spoken since Naruto's arms had wrapped around him. If it wasn't for his warm breath ghosting over the blonde's chest, Naruto might've assumed he wasn't alive.

"…" Still, no answer came. But Naruto was fine with that. He could feel the smaller man relax in his hold and sink further into the embrace and, from where he was sitting, he could see those teal eyes disappear from view as they closed for the night. His troubled past, fears yet to be explained and his defensive nature all seemed to fade away as he drifted off in the blonde's arms. And Naruto couldn't help but smile at that.

Never before had Naruto Uzumaki felt so _needed_ and important. Never before had he felt like his existence alone was of much benefit to anyone. His friends loved him, sure, but their lives wouldn't be too different without him. He hadn't really affected them greatly. But Gaara…

The two of them had only known each other for a few days and still didn't know that much about each other. But it wasn't about how long they'd been friends, or how knowledgeable they were about one another…it was about how much they affected one another. How much they understood despite their limited time together. It was about how much Gaara's existence gave Naruto something to work towards- gave him a feeling of worth. It was about how much Naruto broke down that wall around Gaara's heart and gave him someone to trust.

Naruto's fingers skimmed through the soft spikes of the other boy's hair as he continued rocking, that small smile still on his tanned face. Gaara made him feel something he'd never felt before. Something special. Something beautiful. Not even Sakura (his most successful romantic partner) had ever given him this. Throughout their whole relationship, in spite of how good and wonderful the time was overall, Naruto always felt like a nuisance. It wasn't anything Sakura had done wrong- she was great. But the way she had taken command of everything and been so…independent? Not so much independent…it was just that she never once expressed any _need_ for Naruto. She did love him and enjoyed being with him…but Naruto still felt unnecessary. She always joked about how Naruto was like a child and needed looking after…but Naruto, despite the occasional immaturity, wasn't fond of the sentiment.

The problem was him, not anyone else. He had never understood it himself but ever since he was a little kid, Naruto had always felt protective of others. He was the one jumping in when another kid was being bullied whilst not expecting anyone to jump in for him. He was the one wondering if he could make friends with the loners so they wouldn't be alone. It was his nature. He liked being depended upon and trusted. But he'd never actually had that before. Ino was so all-knowing and independent that she never needed to lean on anyone; Kiba, Sasuke and Shikamaru were hard-headed and able to deal with their own problems without anything more than the occasional word of comfort. Sakura was much the same- the kind to take charge while dragging Naruto along as mild support.

But Gaara…although he was capable of looking after himself and obviously a strong individual, it was clear that he was slowly growing to _need_ Naruto as a friend. And that was Naruto's dream come true- it stirred feelings within him he didn't understand but definitely enjoyed.

However…it also stirred something else. No amount of ignoring it could stop Naruto from thinking back on the dream he'd had of Gaara. He was worried that the idea of taking care of a friend was mixing with the idea of 'taking care of' a lover. In fact, Gaara fit the image of Naruto's ideal lover perfectly- strong and independent, yet vulnerable and in need of care and love. Someone Naruto could truly care for. The only problem was Gaara's gender. Emotionally, he and Naruto may have been perfectly compatible, but physically something was lacking. Gaara didn't have breasts or a vagina- to put it bluntly. He wasn't a woman like Sakura and his previous partners had been. No amount of emotional connection could change that fact. And, because of that, they'd never be more than friends.

Sighing heavily, Naruto shifted and moved to lie the sleeping teen down on the bed so he was more comfortable. Gaara, however, seemed to shuffle and seek out the blonde's warmth in his sleep. Watching that stirred the feeling inside Naruto again and he couldn't help but run his fingers through the boy's hair once more. Gaara seemed to relax under his touch and nuzzled into his pillow as he slept on, completely oblivious to the effect he was having on his roommate. Naruto gulped. He studied Gaara's sleeping face and couldn't help but find it…beautiful…

The tattoo which held so much meaning, the pale and soft skin, those eyes closed in peaceful slumber and those pink, inviting lips. With only the light of the lamp filling the room, cascading across Gaara's face…he looked…so…

"Goodnight," Naruto said softly, his hand moving down to pass over the redhead's soft cheek. As his thumb slid over Gaara's bottom lip, parting his mouth slightly, a shudder went through Naruto's body and his eyes almost fluttered close themselves. Those lips were so soft and warm. "Gaara." The blonde whispered it out, pulling his hand away and climbing to his feet as quietly as he could without waking the boy. It was getting late and they both had their courses in the morning so he couldn't just sit and watch the redhead sleep forever- as much as he couldn't help but notice Gaara shifting uncomfortably as Naruto's presence moved away.

Climbing into his own bed, Naruto rolled over to face away from his roommate, trying to keep his thoughts on the busy day they had tomorrow. The first day of courses, Pein's collection- it wasn't something you could get through on little sleep. And dammit, if he kept thinking about Gaara he wasn't going to get any sleep at all…or, at the very least, his dreams would take a turn he really didn't want them to. The thought of his possessive, but caring nature, twisting a normal friendship between two guys into an odd, creepy, one-sided perversion made his stomach churn sickeningly. He didn't want to mess things up so soon after they'd started…

* * *

Gaara groaned as torturous light seeped through his closed eyelids and selfishly ruined his sleep. Couldn't the world see he was busy right now? No matter which way he rolled or turned, he just couldn't escape the warm sunlight and his mind actually began formulating a plan to destroy the stupid star as revenge. That plan, however, was cut short before anything useful could be worked out…

The redhead sprung into a sitting position suddenly, eyes snapping open as quickly as they could as confusion spread throughout him. The sunlight on his face, his body feeling too relaxed to get out of bed…those were things he hadn't experienced since he was in diapers! But, as his eyes tried so desperately to adjust to the light of his dorm room, he almost had a heart attack as the truth hit him.

It was morning.

And by morning he didn't mean the ridiculously early hours when the dark and cold still ruled the world, nor did he mean the moderately early hours when the sun hadn't fully risen yet…

By morning, he meant sun already up, other people already out of bed, normal morning.

Glancing out his window, Gaara could see the sun was unbelievably high in the sky and the world had been awake long before he had. The tattooed teen couldn't believe it…he was frozen with shock…For the first time since he was tiny, Gaara had missed the sunrise. Even when he and Naruto had shared a bed, they'd both woken up early enough for the redhead to catch the sunrise and for his roommate to go for his jog. But now…the sun had beaten him to it…and Gaara couldn't help but feel warm inside.

'_Naruto.'_ He thought instantly, not even needing to try and work out what had soothed him enough to make it all the way to such an ordinary hour. He felt alive, his body more refreshed than it had ever been and his mind at peace. Turning his head, he looked over fondly at the still-sleeping idiot, sprawled out on his own bed. Naruto was snoring softly, the covers half-thrown off him and his limbs thrown out in random directions. The sight made Gaara's heart soar as he found even deeper appreciation for his roommate.

'_Shit!'_

All the warmth and love vanished in an instant as his eyes caught sight of the clock on his bedside table. They had slept far too late.

Gaara leapt out of bed, cursing loudly as he rushed to find some clean clothes to wear. With appreciation replaced with annoyance, he grasped a bottle of water from the desk and threw it at his clueless idiot of a roommate without any hesitation or sympathy.

"OW!" Naruto yelped, startling awake as he was brutally attacked. "What the fuck was that?!"

"Get up, idiot! We're late!"

"Huh?" The blonde rubbed his head- where the bottle had hit him- and stared over at the rushing redhead with sleepy and confused eyes. It was the kind of look only someone who had been horribly woken with no warning could give. "Late?"

"Yes, _late_." Gaara hissed angrily, gathering up his chosen outfit for the day and running for the bathroom hurriedly. "Thanks to you, we're both going to be late for our first day!"

"Oh fuck!" The blonde yelled suddenly, and Gaara assumed his roommate had just noticed the time.

'_Damn Uzumaki.'_ The redhead cursed the man inwardly as he rushed to brush his teeth- something he knew he couldn't just skip. Studying his reflection intently as he went about the task, he was grateful to find that he would easily be able to pass for someone who _had_ had a shower that morning. His hair wasn't greasy and his skin didn't seem dirty- everything looked pretty much okay. It's not like he had time to be fussy anyway; it would do for the day.

"I'm _soo_ sorry!" Naruto said, rushing into view behind Gaara and checking himself out in the mirror. The blonde was an absolute mess- his hair sticking out in all directions and wildly ruffled from sleep. In a way it made him seem insanely cute and Gaara may have stopped to stare if he wasn't currently pissed beyond imagination.

"Sorry doesn't cut it, Uzumaki."

"Oh, come on!" The blonde whined, trying to smooth down his hair as best as he could. "You don't even care, so why are you freaking out?"

"Shut it." Gaara hissed, spitting into the sink and heading into the bedroom to get changed as quickly as possible. He stumbled slightly as he shed off the clothes he'd fallen asleep in and hurriedly tried to pull on his new ones.

"How can you be mad at me?" Naruto's voice sounded out from the bathroom, muffled due to the toothbrush moving around in his mouth. "_You're_ supposed to be an insomn-"

"…"

An awkward silence fell upon them as the blonde's head appeared round the doorway and Gaara was frozen to the spot. In his haste, the tattooed teen had inadvertently let himself be caught naked from the waist up and both of them were left shocked as a result. Naruto paused mid-brush and stared- dumfounded- at the new sight. In the few days they'd been living together, Gaara had never been seen without a shirt…so it was both new and interesting to witness.

"Er…" Naruto mumbled, toothpaste starting to leak out of his mouth.

"Get ready." Gaara snapped, yanking on his shirt and turning away to cover up the blush that spread across his pale face. With that, the blonde disappeared into the bathroom once more, also red in the face. The lithe form, soft skin…he was trying to push it all out of his mind.

"Alright, let's go!" Naruto shouted, running to pull his own clothes on in a hurry. Luckily, Gaara busied himself with collecting his notepad and pens in order to avoid taking glances at the naked idiot.

Together, the two of them rushed out the door, hastily locking it behind them, before preparing to part ways for their individual courses.

"You know where Philosophy is?" Naruto asked, bouncing on the spot.

"Block E, room 17." The redhead replied, thankful for his memory. "And your course?"

"Er…somewhere on the main field I guess."

"Idiot." Gaara hissed, turning away from the, still, messy-haired blonde. "I'll see you at the charity thing, I guess."

"Yeah. Later, Gaara!"

'_Damn Uzumaki…'_

* * *

Well, Gaara had managed to make a very poor impression on his lecturer- that was for sure. The man really didn't appreciate the tattooed boy rushing in late and, for a moment, Gaara was sure he was going to be refused entry for the day. However, after a stern warning, he was finally allowed to take his seat and relax.

The poor guy was still trying to get over the fact he had slept in so late- something he couldn't quite believe. In fact, it took up most of his thoughts as the lecturer went on and on about some crap or another. Gaara didn't pay the slightest bit of attention to any of the rubbish that was being spouted, having absolutely zero interest. He'd already decided he was going to drop the Philosophy course in favour of the Social Care one. Turning up today was merely a formality.

"Dude, you should really pay attention."

"…" Gaara glanced to his side as the whispered warning came his way, eyes shooting a glare at whoever dared address him randomly.

"I'm serious," a young, dark-skinned man with white, spiky hair muttered around the lollipop sticking out of his mouth. "The lecturer guy might suddenly tell us something really important about the world and you might miss it and go on living, completely clueless. And then, one day, because of the information you missed, you might suffer some sort of crisis and die or something."

"…" Gaara stared, one non-existent brow raised in disbelief as the man spoke. He wasn't going to dignify the stranger's ramblings with a response, having decided that this college was full of weirdos.

"Damn, what if I've missed that important thing because I was busy talking to you?" The pessimist fretted, teeth grinding around the lollipop nervously. "The first day and it's already going this badly."

"Tell me about it." Gaara muttered, not intending the other to actually hear him. Unfortunately, not only was he heard but he was responded to.

"See, you understand where I'm coming from." The man said, offering a small smile. "You seem like a cool guy. I'm Omoi."

"Gaara." The redhead whispered back, eyes turning away from his new acquaintance. He had no interest in getting to know this worry-wart.

"I don't know why I bothered taking this course," Omoi murmured, resting his head on his arms lazily. "I don't wanna know the meaning of life, that'll just make me worry all the time."

"So drop the course." Gaara hissed impatiently.

"Yeah…I guess…" The pessimistic man mumbled dejectedly, sucking away on his lollipop with a frown on his face. "Hey, who's that?"

"Hm?" Gaara, who hadn't been focusing on his surroundings at all, looked up to see what this new idiot was talking about. It turned out that the lecturer had stopped talking and was instead watching as a figure crossed the room. Someone else had entered the room late. "No idea." The redhead answered, studying the stranger intently. There was something very…captivating about his appearance.

The young man who had interrupted their lecture was tall and well-built too. His dark orange hair was arranged into an array of spikes- similar too, but more organised than, Naruto's- with a middle parting so his forehead was visible. From where Gaara was sitting, it looked like his eyes were a hazel color. However, what was really interesting about him was the variety of piercings he had. There were six piercings along the rim of each ear and a metal rod running through each one as well; he had three rods running through the bridge of his nose in succession; along with two spikes acting as 'snake bites' below his bottom lip. They certainly didn't look comfortable, put it that way.

"What if he's a drop out who wants revenge and has come here to cause trouble?" Omoi muttered, staring at the man intently.

"Don't you two know anything?" An irritated girl seated behind them snapped in irritation. "That's the head of the Student Union here- Pein." Gaara's ears pricked up at that, his interest in the man growing.

"That's Pein?"

"Oh, yeah," Omoi said in realisation, cheering up slightly. "I just noticed the piercings. Y'know, they say each one was done to raise money for charity. That's gotta be a little dangerous…"

"They're not just on his face either," the girl added. "He has them on other parts of his body too. Still, you've got to respect his dedication to charity." She said, sighing contently. Obviously a fangirl…

"Pein…" Gaara whispered to himself, watching the pierced youth lean in to whisper something in the lecturer's ear so no one else could hear. Whatever it was, the lecturer seemed pleased with it and gave him a smile before Pein turned to leave the room again. Pein seemed to have some kind of aura or something- capturing everyone's attention and stunning them into silence, as well as leaving a shifted atmosphere in his wake.

"He's soooo hot," the girl swooned, grinning like a moron. And, despite his hatred of the girl's reaction, Gaara had to agree. Pein was naturally handsome, with a presence that commanded respect and attention and the piercings merely added to that mysterious yet edgy look.

"Man, there's always guys like him making it impossible for regular guys like me to get a date." Omoi grumbled sadly. "I treat women nicely, always mind my manners _and_ take care of myself. All he does is do a few things for charity, act like an asshole and stick a few piercings in and he has everyone lusting after him. So unfair…"

"Did you just call Pein an asshole?!" Someone shouted from across the room angrily.

"Who called him an asshole?!"

"That guy there!"

"How dare you insult Pein!"

"You have no idea what he's done!"

"Don't you talk bad about him!"

Omoi visibly recoiled under the scrutiny he seemed to be receiving from the whole room, shrinking back into his seat with a dejected frown on his young face. Gaara merely sat awkwardly as people looked his way to get a glance at Omoi, feeling their eyes on him. This isn't how he expected his first day of college courses to go…

"I've gotta drop the course now…" Omoi muttered, sighing as the lollipop fell from his mouth. And Gaara couldn't help but think the same thing…

* * *

The day passed by quicker than Gaara expected. Once his lecture had finished, he and Omoi headed out together and ended up having lunch together. Gaara wasn't really sure how it happened, but pretty soon he ended up unable to escape the company of the dark-skinned man. However, if he were honest, he didn't mind all that much. Omoi wasn't loud or in-your-face, nor did he talk too much or too fast. He was pretty mellow and relaxed so accompanying him wasn't too irritating. The only real flaw with the new acquaintance was his tendency to blow things out of proportion and head down a pessimistic route of unnecessary worry and concern.

Nonetheless, Gaara was glad when the evening came and it was approaching six. Despite his original lack of interest, he was actually looking forward for the collection event for two reasons. The first was that he'd be able to see Naruto again after a whole day of being apart and the second…was the chance to see more of Pein, who had been on the redhead's mind since his interruption earlier.

But, before any of that, there was something he had to get out of the way first…

* * *

"Thanks very much, Gaara." Kabuto cooed, smiling sweetly as he took the completed form and added it to a small pile on his desk. "I'll process this form first thing tomorrow for you and you'll be added to the Social Care course."

"I need a form to drop out of the Philosophy course." Gaara stated bluntly, glaring suspiciously at the glasses-wearing man. Currently, Kabuto was acting normal and sweet rather than his devious self…but only because Gaara had brought Omoi along with him. Just as he expected, Kabuto's nature changed when there were other people around.

"Me too." Omoi added, slipping another lollipop into his mouth.

"Alright, here you go." The grey-haired man replied, handing each one a new form with an innocent smile.

"Cool. We best start heading to the main courtyard for Pein's thingy." Omoi suggested, pocketing the paper.

"Oh? I didn't realise it was so late!" Kabuto exclaimed, glancing towards the clock with a genuine look of surprise on his face. "I finished over ten minutes ago. Don't mind if I tag along, do you?"

"Whatever." Gaara muttered, not about to cause a scene with no real provocation.

"Don't want to be late," Omoi began, alerting the redhead that one of his pessimistic lines was coming up. "If we are then Pein's fangirls may get angry with us and decide to attack us, possibly putting us into hospital."

"I wouldn't worry about that," Kabuto reassured him as they all left the office together. "They'll be too busy focusing on Pein himself to even notice."

"What is it with this Pein guy anyway?" The dark-skinned teen asked, shuddering at the memory of the abuse he had received earlier. However, as the question was asked, Gaara also found himself interested in Kabuto's response.

"He's the head of the Student Union and our activist group, Akatsuki." Kabuto began with a smile. "He's a huge supporter of charity and the Akatsuki's main function is to increase funding for such charities."

"And that's why he's so popular?" Omoi asked.

"I suppose that's one reason, though there's also his looks and…talents…"

"Talents?" Gaara cut in, intrigued.

"You'll see that once we arrive." The man said with a smirk, pushing the glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Either way, he's an extremely important member of our college community and one of the most popular. It's never a good idea to upset him…so I hope you've both brought your wallets…"

"Damn…how much are we expected to give?" Omoi asked nervously, chewing on the lollipop.

"You'll have to play it by ear. Just don't disappoint…"

* * *

Gaara was glad once he met up with Naruto again, feeling far more comfortable in Kabuto's presence with the loveable idiot by his side. Naruto was calming and made it less likely that Gaara would break Kabuto's damn nose. All in all, it was a huge improvement of company. Naruto's positivity and optimism also seemed to dull Omoi's complaining and shut him up for a bit.

However, as eager as Gaara was to just sit and listen to the blonde go on and on about his day, there wasn't much time for catching up between the two before someone asked for silence and announced the start of the charity event. Gaara, Naruto, Omoi, Kabuto and Ino all shared a bench in the courtyard as, what seemed to be, the whole college watched Pein walk out with a group of other students behind him. The group, excluding Pein, seemed to be carrying…instruments?

Gaara glanced at Kabuto, who merely smiled, before looking back in disbelief. Was this what he thought it was?

"Members of the faculty and, of course, my fellow students…" Pein spoke, silencing everyone instantly, and Gaara's attention was fully captured. He spoke out with a deep, authoritative voice which commanded utter respect and admiration. It held so much power…Gaara could easily imagine how Pein had become the leader of the Student Union. Everything about him made him perfect for the role of leadership. "You've all been invited here today in order to raise money for the World Hunger and Poverty Project. A cause which is in desperate need of our help. A charity dedicated to helping those without any leisure or comfort, for those who live in hell on a daily basis- such as those whose lives have been destroyed by war."

"We're ready, Pein." A rather beautiful woman with dyed-blue hair said loudly so all could hear.

"Very well, then we shall begin…"

…

With a nod from Pein, the small group which had followed him began playing their instruments in perfect harmony, with a level of professional skill which both impressed Gaara and pleased him. It was a well-crafted tune which had most of the gathered people clapping and swaying. However, what really captivated Gaara was Pein, who stepped forward confidently and opened his mouth.

"_It's time to open your eyes,_

_It's time to see the world."_

Pein had a marvellous singing voice, his deep tone perfect and flawless and he sang slowly, glancing around the gathering.

"_No more deception or lies,_

_It's time the truth was unfurled._

_They say that we are the future,_

_But all I see is a joke."_

Pein cocked his head, a displeased look on his face as he sang the last line and his eyes practically glared at the people around him.

"_I'm not here to cuddle or nurture,_

_In a way, I'm here to provoke."_

He threw his arms out as he began walking around, looking into the eyes of each person he passed. Gaara couldn't help notice the girls, and some guys, swooning as Pein passed them.

"_When I look out at all your blank faces,_

_I can't help but feel ashamed._

_Is this all that your life is?_

_You're all so blind and untamed."_

He hissed the last line out, snapping his head around with malice in his eyes, pausing as the music intensified and the song reached its chorus.

"_It's time for a change in momentum,_

_It's time for a little more heart."_

Pein sang powerfully, walking through the crowd with his hand out so people could high-five or caress it as he went.

"_Come now, where's your motivation?_

_This world will rip you apart!_

_Pain and despair,_

_Pollutes our air._

_It's all so damning,_

_So what are we planning?"_

He ran up to one particular group of rugged teenagers, leaning in close with, what seemed to be, anger on his handsome face. The pace of the song picked up as he sang with deep emotion and meaning. He ripped a cigarette out of one boy's mouth, flicking it on the ground with disgust as he continued.

"_To waste our lives smoking, laughing and joking_

_While the world continues to rot?!"_

He growled, moving away from the group to continue mingling amongst the crowd.

"_You may be happy with this situation but in my heart, I'm not!"_

As the first chorus came to an end, people were beginning to get to their feet and start dancing a little, clapping along happily. A few brave souls headed into the center of the courtyard to join the Akatsuki, who were still playing- slowing the song down for the second verse.

"_I make it all sound so hopeless,_

_Like life is an impossible task._

_But just stop being so boneless,_

_In the end, that's all that I ask."_

As Pein sang, he began taking people's hands and pulling them to their feet, encouraging them to join the group of dancers. He was getting the crowd worked up with his charisma and song and Gaara was watching out of the corner of his eyes as Naruto and Ino started swaying and laughing together- he was getting jealous of their closeness.

"_Peace, understanding and justice,_

_Are not just the products of dreams._

_To attain them, what you must do is,_

_Realise it's not what it seems."_

Pein reached their little group, taking Ino's hand gently and giving it a gentle kiss, before pulling her to her feet and making her twirl. That seemed to please the woman, who giggled happily.

"_Stop wallowing in your self-pity,_

_Wake up to the world at large,"_

He then patted Naruto's shoulder, before inviting the blonde to dance with Ino, also pulling Omoi to his feet.

"_It can be a thing of pure beauty,"_

Gaara gulped as Pein helped him up, giving him a slight smile/smirk combination, before moving on and merely patting Kabuto's shoulder before heading off to the center again.

"_As long as we start to take charge!"_

Pein shouted as the song reached its chorus again and pretty much everyone was on their feet. Gaara merely stood there, watching Naruto and Ino twirl and dance together with happy smiles on their face.

"_It's time for a change in momentum,_

_It's time for a little more heart._

_Come now, where's your motivation?_

_This world will rip you apart!_

_Pain and despair,_

_Pollutes our air._

_It's all so damning,_

_So what are we planning?_

_We'll rise up together and face any weather,_

_And put things on the right track._

_The world is pushing us hard,_

_But, joined as one, now we're pushing back!"_

The song kept up its pace, reaching the climax as Pein joined the Akatsuki and began encouraging the bass player- the woman with blue hair- to dance along whilst playing.

"_So donate towards hunger and poverty,_

_And remember the pain in their hearts,_

_Do that and then you'll see,_

_That's where it all starts!"_

A few other members of the Akatsuki joined in with the final chorus, backing Pein up with perfect timing as some clueless students tried their best to sing along as well.

"_It's time for a change in momentum,_

_It's time for a little more heart._

_Come now, find your motivation,_

_It's time for a brand new start!_

_The pain and despair won't touch us,_

_Our air will soon be clean,_

_The damning won't make us anxious,_

_Because we have a plan to be seen!_

_Yes, the whole world must finally see,_

_We are the Akatsuki!"_

Everyone screamed and clapped wildly as the song came to an end, with a final beat of the drums, and the crowd was sent into a frenzy. The Akatsuki could easily have become a professional band with their level of skill and talent and Gaara was shocked they hadn't pursued such a thing. They were amazing, better than any commercial band the redhead had _ever_ heard- and he wasn't even a big fan of music.

"That was totally awesome!" Naruto shouted, wrapping an arm around Gaara's shoulder, whooping loudly with delight as the redhead merely clapped modestly in his roommate's hold. Pein had certainly gotten the crowd worked up and Gaara couldn't help but notice that, as the Akatsuki members began heading through the crowd with collection buckets, people didn't seem to mind parting with their money all that much. In fact, they looked damn happy to hand over their cash.

"The Akatsuki really should pursue a music career," Ino said with a smile. "They'd do well."

"I agree." Gaara said, relaxing in his roommate's hold.

"Pein isn't really interested in any of that," Kabuto explained. "He doesn't actually enjoy singing all that much, he merely realises that it's the best way to entertain his fellow students. He's good at utilizing his skills."

"Naruto…" Gaara felt the blonde seize up around him, a shiver going through his body as that deep, commanding voice called his name. The two roommates slowly turned together to see Pein strolling towards them threateningly.

"Oh, er…hey, P-Pein." Naruto mumbled nervously, pulling Gaara closer to him out of fear and nerves. "G-great job on the s-song."

"Thanks," the pierced youth said, gesturing towards a bucket he held in one hand. "time to show your appreciation."

"Here you go, Pein-love." Ino said sweetly, slipping quite a bit of money into the bucket like it was nothing. Pein gave her a grateful nod, before turning to Naruto with an expectant look on his face.

"Now, Naruto, I hope you're not going to disappoint."

"W-well…er, you see I kinda don't have…I don't have much money…" He trailed off with a nervous laugh as Pein's eyes narrowed into a dangerous-looking glare.

"I see the song didn't quite drive the point home," he said with a scowl, stepping forward. "let's try something else, shall we?"

"W-wait! Hold on, Pein!" Naruto yelled, cowering behind Gaara like a child. The redhead couldn't help but roll his eyes at his roommate's behaviour, silently retrieving his own wallet from his pocket.

"I'll donate for both Naruto and myself." Gaara said, pulling out an amount of money which seemed to please the pierced collected and dropping it in the bucket. Pein gave him a thankful nod before glancing at Naruto.

"You're lucky you have such a generous friend, Naruto. I trust next time _you_ won't be the one relying on help, but rather the one giving it." And with that, the charismatic and captivating leader was off to collect even more money from his riled audience.

And, despite having been parted with quite a bit of his money, Gaara couldn't help but feel warm and happy as Naruto pulled him into a one-armed hug and planted a friendly kiss on his cheek. Grinning against the redhead's cheek, Naruto whispered a 'thank you' into his ear.

"You're the best." The blonde murmured huskily, sending shivers throughout Gaara's body.

* * *

**A/N:**** The longest chapter of this story so far is done! Not without some trouble mind you.**

**I hope you all enjoyed Pein's song- the most difficult challenge- which took a great deal of time to complete. I suppose quite a lot happened in this chapter.**

**So, what did you think of this chapter in general? More specifically, the beginning and Pein's song?**

**Although Naruto didn't appear all that much this chapter, the next one will be a big one in terms of development so I hope you're all looking forward to it!**

**In the meantime, let me know what you thought of this one!**


	9. Trust

**A/U:**** Quite a bit of progress made during this chapter. Character development for Kabuto, Gaara and Naruto and a little advancement in the relationship between the two roommates.**

**I hope you all enjoy. Let me know what you think with one of your lovely reviews!**

**Warnings: Strong language, dirty talk**

* * *

"Sorry to ruin the intimate moment," Ino said, smiling knowingly at the two roommates. "but you need to go get ready for tonight, don't you, Naruto?"

"Oh, right!" The blonde said, pulling away from Gaara's ear with a massive grin. "I almost forgot!"

"Tonight?" Gaara repeated in question, shrugging out of Naruto's hold as the weight began to grow uncomfortable on his shoulders. "What's happening tonight?"

"A couple of us are heading into the nearest city to go clubbing, y'know." Naruto explained, still grinning. "As a sorta celebration for making it through today. Kiba and I have tomorrow off so it's perfect!"

"Oh…"

"Fancy coming?"

"Huh?" Gaara looked up, almost making eye contact before he thought better of it. Hearing about Naruto's plans had come as a slight disappointment, but now he was being invited along too? Him…clubbing? Gaara had never been out drinking before and the idea really didn't appeal to him at all. He couldn't imagine actually enjoying it. Surrounded by drunk teenagers, dancing and grinding against him, approached by people wanting meaningless sex, or being harassed by aggressive drunks…it sounded like pure hell to him.

"Yeah, I've been planning to ask you." But seeing that handsome face, with the eager smile and twinkle of hope in those impossibly blue eyes…Gaara found himself starting to yield to his roommate's request.

"I can't make it," Ino cut in. "because of some work Pein's got me doing. So they'll need someone sensible to go along and keep them in check."

"Alright," the redhead mumbled unconvincingly. He knew it would go wrong somehow but the thought of spending more time with Naruto was too appealing and the huge beam the blonde idiot gave him was enough to convince him he'd made the right choice.

"Awesome!" Naruto shouted, patting his roommate's shoulder- sending shivers through him. "What about you, Kabuto? Fancy coming along?"

'_You've got to be kidding me.'_ Gaara thought, eyes glancing towards his cursed stalker coldly. The last thing he wanted was for _him_ to come along. That would be enough to ruin his whole night.

"No, thank you." The redhead relaxed, relief spreading over him. "I've got a lecture tomorrow so I need the early night. Let me know how it goes though."

"Oh, okay…what about you…?" Naruto asked, turning to face Omoi with a questioning glance. His head cocked to the side cutely.

"Name's Omoi and I appreciate it but I gotta give it a miss." The dark-skinned man explained, a worried look crossing his face. "Karui'd kill me if she heard." He shook his head dejectedly, obviously imagining something awful happening to him. Gaara was just glad he wasn't explaining his pessimistic thoughts this time.

"Alright, looks like it's just you, me, Tenten and Kiba then." Naruto concluded with a smile, eyes glimmering with a happiness which was _almost_ infectious.

"Well, I best head back to the Student Union building and see if Pein needs anything," Kabuto muttered, a little venom seeping into his tone as he glanced between Naruto and Gaara coldly. "Later." He gave a curt wave before heading off, leaving only Ino and Gaara suspicious. Excusing himself for a moment, the tattooed redhead followed Kabuto, pulling him aside so that they could speak privately for a moment. He was done putting up with the office worker's crap.

"If you cause any trouble for me, I'll make sure you regret it." He hissed under his breath, only earning a chuckle from the grey-haired man.

"What's wrong, Gaara?" Kabuto asked with a slight smirk. "Are you scared…? …Of me…?"

"Not a chance." The redhead glared coldly. "I don't care about your odd infatuation with me…but keep it to yourself and stay the hell away from me."

"Oh, Gaara…" Kabuto began, shaking his head as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "You misunderstand…it's not _you_ I'm interested in." He whispered with a chuckle.

"What?" The redhead's eyes darted to the smirk the other man wore, taking in his words as best as he could. "Then who?"

"You're not stupid, Gaara." Kabuto began, his eyes darting over to the others. "I'm sure you can work out exactly who I'm interested in. And I also hope you realise that I'm not going to stop pursuing him, no matter what you try and do."

"And what exactly do you think I'm going to do?" Gaara demanded, also glancing over at a laughing Naruto. So Kabuto was after the blonde idiot? He was stalking Gaara to get to Naruto…

"If you make your move, then I'll just have to made a better one. Simple as that, Gaara."

* * *

"Well, how do I look?" Naruto asked, finally stepping out of the bathroom after a ridiculously long time getting ready and throwing his arms out for inspection. Gaara thought he'd just give the blonde a quick look over, say 'fine' and move on to finishing getting ready himself…he should have known better. As he turned his head to glance at his roommate, he found himself frozen to the spot.

Naruto had always looked effortlessly gorgeous…but having put effort into it…he was beyond gorgeous. Gaara wasn't quite sure what this young man had done to please whatever deity there may or may not be, but it must have been something good for his reward to be this good. There were good-looking people everywhere nowadays thanks to modern grooming techniques, it wasn't a case of you're either naturally gorgeous or not. Naruto, however, really came out on top. When he was sleepy, confused or drunk, he looked unbelievably cute. When he was determined or serious, he looked incredibly hot. When he wasn't trying to look good, he did. When he was trying to look good, he _really_ did.

The man was dressed in an orange shirt (Gaara hadn't known they made shirts in such a color) with a black jacket over it. The top four buttons of the shirt were undone to reveal the tanned and broad chest, along with a small green-crystal necklace. He wore a pair of dark, baggy khaki pants with a pretty cool belt and a pair of white trainers with orange stripes. Gel had been added to his blonde hair in an attempt to try and make the spikes seem tamed, giving Naruto an edgy look. Gaara could easily understand how Pein had flocks of fangirls and fanboys throwing themselves at him, but he would never understand how the hell Naruto didn't. There was absolutely nothing wrong with him at all! He was perfection.

"Earth to Gaara…" Naruto called, head tilting to the side as his face scrunched up in confusion.

'_Damn Uzumaki. Doesn't he have any idea what he looks like with that face?'_ The redhead cursed inwardly, resisting the urge to bite his lip.

"You look…good." That answer seemed to please Naruto, who grinned happily and focused his attention on Gaara's appearance instead.

In all honesty, Naruto was just as impressed with his roommate and the effort he had made. With a pair of black, tight-fitting jeans, white shirt and a dark hoodie- Gaara was looking damn fine.

"I can put some gel in your hair, if you want?" The blonde offered, waving a tub of the product for his roommate to see. Gaara eyed it cautiously, unsure of whether to trust the idiot or not, but finally gave in and nodded. "Don't worry, it'll look awesome." Naruto reassured, slipping in to stand behind Gaara as he rubbed some gel into his hand. "Trust me." He murmured softly, instantly relaxing the other boy.

Gently, he slipped his gelled fingers into Gaara's soft hair and began working his magic. Poor Gaara could have melted under the blonde's caress as his hair was carefully sculpted into neatly-designed spikes. And, he couldn't help but notice, Naruto made of point of extending the parting on the left side of his forehead in order to make his 'love' tattoo even more visible. Gaara wasn't sure why, but that little act made him smile and it was appreciated greatly. It meant that the blonde truly understood how important the tattoo was and wanted Gaara to show it off. Naruto understood him.

"Done?" The redhead asked, slightly disappointed as those wonderful fingers pulled away.

"Yup! Go take a look!" Naruto said, full of pride as he grinned happily. And, despite his little shred of doubt, Gaara was relieved to see the blonde looking so happy with the results. A quick glance in the mirror confirmed that Naruto had done a pretty good job and Gaara's hair was looking pretty cool.

"Not bad, Uzumaki." The blonde beamed at him in reply, winking cheekily as he started heading for the door.

"Let's go!" He shouted enthusiastically, obviously ready for a fun-filled night. Gaara rolled his eyes, following the idiot out of their dorm whilst trying to ignore the persistent feeling that something was going to go terribly wrong.

* * *

The night was a bit of a blur, if Gaara was honest. Though not a big drinker, the peer pressure from Naruto and his two friends caused him to go well over his limit and most of what happened seemed to slip out of his mind. Kiba and Tenten were annoying to say the least and Gaara hated having to compete for Naruto's attention all the time but…Naruto always made sure he was included. No matter how many clubs they went to, or how many drinks they downed, Naruto always pulled the redhead along with him and made sure he was always there. If Gaara sat out whilst the others danced, his blonde roommate would join him so he wasn't alone. It was both warming and incredible to feel so looked after and cared for. Perhaps it was the alcohol churning deep within the pit of his stomach, but Gaara couldn't help but feel a rush of heat each time Naruto flashed him a smile, sent him a wink or made physical contact. The arm round the shoulders, friendly hugs and attempted fist bumps all made the tattooed teen feel…loved. His drunken mind was able to quickly deduce what his sober one was so desperate to ignore or bury…

'_I'm in love with Naruto Uzumaki.'_

Gaara first allowed that thought to float through his mind as he sat opposite the blonde, watching him engage in a very in-depth conversation with Tenten. They were discussing something stupid, like fish or something, but Naruto was so emotionally invested that Gaara couldn't help but smile slightly. The alcohol softened his heart and allowed him to accept the ultimate truth. The feelings he felt for Naruto, despite how annoying the man was, were feelings of love and the desire to be loved.

The rest of the night went on peacefully, with Gaara constantly keeping his eyes on his roommate. No matter how much they went through that night, or all the stuff that happened, Gaara's mind and heart remained focused on Naruto Uzumaki. And only Naruto Uzumaki.

He was glad when Naruto finally decided to call it a night and asked Gaara if they could take the train back to the college. To his delight, Kiba and Tenten decided to stay out for longer, meaning he finally had the blonde all to himself. He was surprised at how happy that thought made him. Time alone with Naruto was quickly becoming his favourite activity…

* * *

Gaara gulped nervously as he felt a sudden heat on his thigh, dangerously close to his crotch. He could feel himself start to blush as he glanced down, finding Naruto's large hand resting on the top of his leg casually- as though there were nothing odd about it at all.

"N-Naruto?" The redhead mumbled with a shaky voice, sneaking a look at the drunk blonde in hopes of some explanation. Instead, the man groaned in response, shuffling in his seat and squeezing Gaara's thigh slightly. Electricity shot through the tattooed teen's body at that moment, a jolt going straight to his cock. Cursing silently, the redhead tried to force away the feeling that arose in him…he was starting to get hard…

Naruto was slumped in his seat, eyes closed and lips parted as he seemed to attempt sleep. The jolting of the train seemed to keep him on the verge of consciousness and the hand on Gaara's thigh was most likely an attempt to steady himself. After all, being drunk on a train wasn't a nice experience. Either way, it seemed Gaara was suffering the most. Every time the train shook too violently, Naruto would groan in frustration and squeeze the flesh in his palm- not realising he was so close to his roommate's clothed groin.

"Mmmm-wanna a cat…" the blonde muttered with a sigh, relaxing his grip slightly as his fingers started tracing small circles on the material of Gaara's jeans. Saying Gaara was getting aroused was an understatement. He didn't think he'd ever been so turned on in his life. The heat of Naruto's palm was almost burning his thigh and the blonde's little finger was moving gently- teasingly- over the teen's balls.

"…" Gaara bit his bottom lip as he tried to ignore the searing pleasure coursing through him. He was trying so hard to will away his erection, which was pushing against his jeans in a desperate attempt to get out and receive some attention. Going out with Naruto had been a horrible idea and getting the train had been an even worse one. "Naruto," the redhead said quietly, trying to avoid alerting the other passengers' attention. "we're almost there." With that, he took the idiot's hand and removed it from his crotch before things went too far.

It got worse.

Naruto smiled in his drunken stupor and began pulling Gaara's hand down, pressing it against his bulge teasingly.

"S'nice." He slurred simply with an idiotic grin, grinding against the redhead's open palm.

'_Damn Uzumaki…oh god, is that…?'_ Gaara's eyes widened as he felt an obvious lump of flesh beneath his roommate's pants and he quickly yanked his hand away.

"Hmm?" Naruto whined, a pout forming on his luscious-looking lips.

"Naruto, it's me…Gaara." He explained, hoping the idiot would snap out of it and start feeling as embarrassed as he did. "We're on a train back to the college."

"No more drinking?" The blonde mumbled, eyes creaking open slightly to stare at Gaara.

"No more. You've had too much."

"M'kay." Naruto sighed contently, shifting closer to his tattooed roommate, a smile spreading across his space. "I just sleep here." The warmth of the blonde's body against his own was soothing for Gaara and he himself was tempted to just snuggle in and drift into the world of sleep so close to Naruto. But that, of course, would be a stupid idea.

It was at that moment that an announcement rang out, declaring that their stop was approaching and Gaara couldn't help but feel a little guilty as he shook the blonde slightly.

"Not yet, we've got to get off now." The shit-eating grin that spread across Naruto's face instantly sent a pang of regret into Gaara's stomach as he realised exactly what his friend was thinking.

"I like getting off." Naruto said happily, grin widening. Rolling his eyes, Gaara started helping the idiot to his feet. It was gonna be a long night. "Are we gonna get off together, Gaara?"

"…" no amount of self-control could stop the blush that proceeded to flood the redhead's face at that moment. Naruto asked it so sweetly, despite the evil grin, and in a voice so husky and breathy that shivers shot through Gaara's entire body. That voice…

"Are you gonna help me _get off_, Gaara?" Naruto whispered darkly, lips brushing against his roommate's ear teasingly. That voice was so possessive and…dirty…Gaara was sure that he'd do anything that voice told him to. But he knew he had to resist.

"No, Naruto," he said, trying to sound commanding but failing miserably. "I'm not helping."

"Awww, come on." The blonde whined, pressing closer to Gaara as they made their way to the train doors. "I'd really like it if you helped me…" That dark voice was back, passing over the redhead's ear and skin like an inferno. Gaara felt like he was on fire, his cock painfully hard within his jeans. He should have expected this from a drunk Naruto but even if he had prepared for it, it would have made no difference. Naruto was either incredibly horny and drunk or just messing with him.

"Not far now," Gaara said, more to himself than the blonde, as they began heading down the street towards the college. He was hoping to get back to the room as soon as possible so Naruto could just hurry up and go to sleep…alone…

"Then when we get back to the room…"

"No." Gaara snapped, nudging the blonde in the ribs with his elbow. Naruto merely chuckled and pressed closer.

"Don't you wanna touch me, Gaara?" That voice… "Don't you wanna feel me?"

"…" the redhead gulped, silently praying for the verbal torture to stop. He couldn't take much more of this.

"Don't you wanna suck me?"

"Oh god…" Gaara hissed, feeling his own hardness jolt as the dark words passed into his ear.

"You can call me that if you want," Naruto whispered, chuckling like an idiot. "but I think your mouth will be too full."

* * *

It continued like that, all the way to college. Gaara would try his best to ignore his roommate's obscene comments and whisperings but he knew perfectly well he'd need a cold shower once they were back in the room. There was no way in hell he was going anywhere near Naruto when he was in this state. The blonde idiot obviously had no idea what he was saying or doing. But, secretly, a part of Gaara took delight in his roommate's words and, if he were honest, he was starting to hope there was more than just drunken horniness behind them.

"I'll take care of you, Gaara. I promise. I'll get you naked, lying under me while I kiss and lick you all over. I'll make you feel so good. I'll make you tremble at just the touch of my hands. I'll press my body against you so you can feel _all_ of me. Wouldn't you like that, Gaara? To touch me…to feel me _inside_ of you. Does that sound good, Gaara? I'll make it so good you'll never forget. You'll never think of anything else other than _me_ and how good I made you feel. You'll never stop dreaming of me, Gaara…"

For someone so drunk and intoxicated, Naruto's words were surprisingly clear, steady and intelligible. Each one, hissed in that dark tone, made Gaara jolt with pleasure. He wanted all of those things to happen, no matter how obscene they sounded. Naruto was really hitting a nerve in him. Those words…they were making him feel so hot and needy. If Naruto kept this up, Gaara would end up shooting off in his pants.

"Here we are." Gaara announced, pushing himself and Naruto into their dorm room with a triumphant sigh. It had been a lot of work supporting the weight of his roommate all the way down the street but it had definitely been worth it. Insomnia or not, Gaara's bed was really looking appealing right now. But first he had to deal with the idiot clinging to him hopelessly.

"Hey, Gaara?" Naruto muttered as the two of them stumbled over to the beds. "Is there anyone you love?"

'_Yes.'_

"No." The redhead said curtly, ignoring his interfering brain.

"Why not?" The blonde asked, letting his roommate lowering him onto the bed carefully before kicking his own shoes off with a proud grin.

"Not really my thing," Gaara muttered, deciding it best not to try and undress the blonde. Naruto would just have to deal with sleeping in his clothes for one night.

"I don't think that's true." Naruto boldly claimed, his smile fading as he analysed his roommate's expression with a look that Gaara couldn't work out. Curiosity? Whatever it was, Gaara didn't like it. He felt like he was being judged. "I think it is your thing."

"How do you work that out?" Gaara asked, trying not to sound angry or bitter as he reached over to switch on his bedside lamp. He didn't like the conversation and wanted nothing more than for Naruto to shut up and go to sleep, but his own curiosity wouldn't just let the conversation die yet. Even as he slipped into his own bed, not bothering to get undressed, and rested his head on a pillow, he was still eager to hear his roommate's ludicrous response.

"I think you just need to find someone you trust enough," Naruto murmured softly, falling back to rest on his bed with a sleepy look about him. It was rather sweet. "Someone you can trust to look after you…and love you…"

"Go to sleep." Gaara muttered, voice slightly croaky with an unknown emotion. He didn't like this. He didn't like what Naruto did to him. He didn't like the way his heart was slightly aching. Loneliness and isolation had never bothered him before, he'd simply grown used to it. But Naruto…Naruto made him yearn for something more. Naruto made him want the kind of relationship he'd always written off as unimportant.

"Do you trust me?"

…

The question was simple and innocent enough…but it carried a weight with it which crushed Gaara's heart beneath it. The deeper meaning behind it echoed throughout the dimly lit room and unsettled both the drunk blonde and his brooding roommate. This was a conversation that needed to end. It just had to…before things reached an area Gaara wasn't prepared for.

"Naruto…" the redhead began in warning, his heartbeat starting to pick up in pace. This was a bad idea.

"If not, I'll find a way to make you trust me." Naruto said bluntly, blue eyes shimmering in the dim light. "I'll make you trust me and I promise it won't hurt one bit. It'll be all good."

"Naruto…" Gaara hissed slightly louder, starting to panic. The last thing he wanted was to have a panic attack because of a conversation like this. That would be humiliating…degrading…devastating.

"I can't wait until then…" Naruto whispered, nuzzling his pillow as sleep began to overtake him. "I'm gonna show you what it's like to be loved…"

"Just stop, Naruto." The redhead murmured pleadingly, feeling more vulnerable than he ever had before. "You're drunk. You don't feel that way. Just stop."

"I promise…" the blonde replied, unfazed by his roommate's plea. "I'll make you feel good…in every way…"

'_You can't, you goddamn idiot.'_ Gaara cursed inwardly, watching as Naruto faded into his dreams across the room from him. And if a tear slid down the redhead's cheek…who would know? Sometimes it was okay for a heart to crack. Sometimes it was okay to feel something…

* * *

**A/N:**** Well, how was that? I quite liked the last scene, if I'm honest. How did Naruto go from dirty talk to implying he has romantic feelings for Gaara in such a short amount of time?**

**Anyway, I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I look forward to hearing your opinions of this chapter.**

**Thanks, everyone. **


	10. This Moment

**A/N:**** Well, this chapter is certainly an important one. It should become obvious why once you reach the end. If you can't see why, do ask.**

**Anyway, thank you for over 100 reviews so far. All thoughts and comments are much appreciated so I hope they continue. I'm especially interested in your thoughts on this chapter so let me know!**

**Warnings: Strong language**

* * *

**This Moment**

Gaara sighed heavily, rolling off of the bed to land softly on his feet. He'd been arguing about whether or not he should leave the room for what felt like hours now. It had gotten to the point that he just couldn't take it anymore. This time, it wasn't fear or panic which kept him awake…it was confusion and an ache in his heart he just couldn't explain. When he'd applied for college, he had never expected things to end up like this. He had expected having to put up with immature and annoying classmates, having to bear life with a horrid roommate and breezing through his course with no true interest. He hadn't expected…Naruto…

Glancing over at the suspiciously quiet blonde, Gaara couldn't help but wonder if he was really asleep. Naruto wasn't particularly loud at night, but he did snore softly in his sleep and alcohol tended to make snoring, in general, louder…but he was almost silent. The occasional little breath would escape his lips but nothing close to what Gaara had come to expect from him. Perhaps he was awake too. Deciding it best to forget it, the redhead turned to head out the room for a walk. He needed to think and the cold, night air helped him do that. Maybe it could ease his troubled mind for another night.

"Gaara…" He froze as soon as he heard that voice, rough and gravelly from sleep and dehydration. Well, at least one his questions had been answered. Naruto was awake after all. "Where are you going?" The blond asked, lifting his head off the pillow to stare at his roommate's back. Turning to look over his shoulder, Gaara tried to ignore the feelings inside him as he took in the sight of Naruto in the dim light.

"I'm going for a walk, go to sleep." He whispered bluntly, hoping that would be the end of it.

"Can't sleep?" Naruto persisted, ignoring the redhead's attempt to end the conversation. "Is it the usual or…because of me?"

'_For an idiot, you sure are perceptive, Uzumaki.'_ The tattooed teen inwardly sneered, observing the blonde for any signs of drunkenness. Naruto looked as though he had sobered up a little, though it was clear there was still alcohol in his system and it was still affecting him. At least the inappropriate comments had stopped.

"Don't worry about it." Gaara replied at last, finding himself unable to directly lie to the other man. Unfortunately, Naruto was nowhere near as stupid as Gaara would often predict him to be.

"So it is my fault." The blonde murmured, moving into a seated position. "Did what I said earlier upset you?"

"Go to sleep." Gaara hissed bluntly, turning to leave again. He was done.

"Don't."

…

The redhead froze again as the command rang out into the room. There was no pleading or questioning in Naruto's tone- it had been an order, spoken with a level of authority and power that Gaara had never experienced before.

"Come back here and talk to me, Gaara."

Gaara should have left anyway, struggling to supress his anger at the blonde for speaking to him like that…but he did neither. He was horrified to find himself surprisingly co-operative and compliant, turning around slowly and taking a few steps back towards Naruto. His roommate looked serious, but still carried a gentleness within his features. Still…no one had ever ordered Gaara around and succeeded in getting anything other than a fist in the face. But Naruto…the way he had spoken had not only succeeded in getting what he wanted, but had actual sent shivers throughout the redhead's body. What was happening to him?

"What?" Gaara muttered, trying to sound defiant but only managing to sound like a kicked dog whining to its owner.

"Are you upset with me? Be honest."

"No." The tattooed youth murmured, staring at the ground.

"Did what I said earlier upset you?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because you didn't mean it." Gaara answered truthfully. "All that talk of trust…"

"You didn't believe me." Naruto whispered, more as a statement than a question. "Did you want to believe me?"

"I don't know…" Gaara shuffled on the spot, suddenly aware of those glistening blue eyes focused on him. This was ridiculous. He could leave anytime he wanted to. He could turn around and walk right out. There was nothing physically stopping him and if Naruto tried, a swift kick to the balls would do the trick. And yet…he couldn't bring himself to move. He couldn't walk away.

"Truthfully." Naruto said, climbing onto his feet. He seemed quite threatening and Gaara may have expected violence if he didn't know the blonde better.

"Yes." He croaked out in response, watching tentatively as his roommate started heading over to him with an expression on his face Gaara couldn't determine. He counted every step Naruto took, waiting for him to stop…but he didn't. Naruto kept coming, invading Gaara's personal space, until they were the closest they could be without touching. The heat of Naruto's body so close to his own, his breath ghosting over Gaara's face…during the day the worst that could happen would be embarrassment but invading Gaara's space at night was different. He could feel his heartbeat racing with dread and fear as his body automatically responded. It was the 'fight or flight' response Gaara had struggled with all his life. His body was telling him to either beat Naruto up or run away before something terrible happened to him. His mind knew Naruto wouldn't hurt him, but his body couldn't make sense of the lack of threat.

"Calm down, Gaara." The blonde murmured softly as he noticed what was happening. Gaara was approaching another panic attack at this rate. But, instead of doing the obvious thing and moving out of the redhead's space, Naruto only moved closer and wrapped his arms around the smaller boy, ignoring how Gaara flinched in his hold. "You can trust me. I promise." He whispered into his roommate's ear, the smell of alcohol on his breath managing to reach the redhead's nose as well. "We're friends."

"Damn, Uzumaki." Gaara hissed out loud, surrendering to the inevitable. Naruto wasn't going to give up on him, no matter what, so Gaara had no choice but to accept it. Unlike everyone in the past, the blonde would keep persisting again and again until he was accepted by Gaara. He wasn't going to give up so trying to push him away and create some distance was meaningless. Feeling defeated and suddenly so damn tired of struggling, Gaara leaned into the hold and buried his face into the space between Naruto's shoulder and neck. He didn't hug the blonde back; just let himself be held as he nuzzled in closer. Everything about Naruto viciously attacked all of his senses at once. The way his body felt pressed up against him, Naruto's natural scent mixed with cologne and alcohol, the sound of the blonde's soft breathing…Gaara was consumed by his roommate.

Neither of them had any idea how long they stood like that for. In the end, it was the aching protest of their tired bodies which forced them to move apart and stare at each other. The awkwardness and tension was unbearable for the guarded redhead, but Naruto took it in his stride. Despite moving back, he stayed close and kept a hand on his roommate's arm. The other moved up to stroke the hair just above one of Gaara's ears soothingly. Those gorgeous blue eyes never left Gaara's face and it took all of the redhead's willpower to avoid looking into them. Again, his body automatically stopped him and forced him to stare at anything else.

"You never make eye contact," Naruto whispered darkly, the fingers in Gaara's hair trailing down his skin until they reached the boy's jaw. They left goose bumps in their wake as they glided over soft skin so tenderly that Gaara almost crumbled under their touch. The redhead gulped nervously as his roommate's fingers pressed under his jaw, tilting his head up slightly. "Look at me."

"…" Gaara's eyes darted to an area of skin just next to Naruto's nose. That was his technique. When looking at someone, he would focus on areas _near_ their eyes but never the eyes themselves. He would only look at a person's eyes when he knew there was no chance of accidentally making eye contact. With Naruto clearly staring at him, it was too risky to even glance into those blue orbs. He couldn't help it. The thought of making contact like that had always petrified him. Looking into someone's eyes…it was too…dangerous. He didn't know why but that's what he had learned as a child.

"Eyes, Gaara." Naruto said sternly, but with a softness completely unrivalled by any Gaara had heard before. "Look me in the eyes."

"No…" the redhead managed to whisper out, despite how dry his mouth had become.

"…" Naruto didn't need to say another word. Despite his verbal defiance, Gaara was unable to refuse the request…the _command_ that had left the blonde's lips. Before he could even realize what was happening, Gaara's eyes were slowly moving up until he found himself staring into the oceanic depths of Naruto's. For the first time since he was a child, he was purposely making eye contact with another living being. And he could feel his heart flutter and collapse at the same time. It was wonderfully frightening and wonderful at once. All of a sudden, he didn't need to be strong or independent. He felt like he could give up control and relax, like he could let Naruto deal with everything for him.

"Naruto…" the redhead murmured, staring into those beautiful, expressive eyes.

"See, that wasn't so bad, huh?" Naruto whispered softly, his hand cradling Gaara's face tenderly. He never broke eye contact and the gaze he held forced the redhead to keep staring as well. Those eyes had captured Gaara's full attention so effectively that he didn't notice Naruto's thumb move until he felt it tracing over his bottom lip. Its touch was gentle and delicate, but it succeeded in parting the redhead's lips. It was then that the eye contact broke as Naruto's eyes moved down to focus intently on his roommate's mouth. Gaara found himself doing the same in return, taking in every detail of his roommate's lips.

Gaara started to hope that everything he felt and everything he believed Naruto might be feeling were all real. It was the perfect moment. They were alone, connecting in a way Gaara had never connected with anyone before and so close. By all accounts, it was the perfect moment for their first kiss together and, for a while, that's what the redhead was expecting. The way Naruto was staring at his lips, the way he was tracing his thumb over them experimentally and the way the blonde's tongue darted out to wet his own…no one could possibly go through this and _not_ expect the kiss to come.

But it never came. Naruto's hand dropped to grab Gaara by the hand and his eyes darted up to make eye contact again. He grinned brilliantly and happily as he started pulling the redhead towards the beds.

"Let's get some sleep, Gaara. No walks tonight, okay?"

"Okay." The redhead murmured, feeling a mix of calm and disappointment spread throughout him. A kiss would have complicated things and opened up a whole world of hurt, confusion and chaos…but he couldn't help but wish it had happened. He would never get a chance like this again. And he was almost certain that Naruto carried more than friendly feelings towards him…maybe he was wrong, but this night had almost wholly convinced him that there was a chance of something more.

He suddenly felt hugely miserable and hurt over the whole thing and, as Naruto pulled him into his bed and held him closely under the covers, Gaara couldn't help but feel stupid for getting so attached to the idiot. Nothing cheered him up, not Naruto's embrace, not the kiss he planted on Gaara's tattoo and not his caring whisper of 'go to sleep.' Gaara had made the fatal mistake of getting close to another human being and now he was suffering for it. He had befriended Naruto, shared his past with him, allowed Naruto to touch him and hug him, had made eye contact with him and, worst of all, had begun caring deeply for him. Who was really the idiot here?

Those were the redhead's cursed thoughts as he drifted into a depressed and sullen sleep.

* * *

"I need to talk to you."

"…" Ino blinked a few times in surprise, glancing around before settling her eyes on her friend- as if she weren't entirely convinced he was really in the room. "Naruto?"

"Who else could it be, Ino?" Kabuto said cheerily from the office's desk, smirking slightly at the rare opportunity of seeing Ino surprised. But still she stared at the blonde man in disbelief.

"You're here…at this time…after a night out…?" She explained, looking him up and down briefly before concern crossed her features. "Oh shit."

"What?" Naruto asked, taking a step back as she cursed suddenly.

"You went out drinking last night but you're up way before noon which means you either didn't drink much or something is terribly wrong," she began quickly. "If it was because you didn't drink much then you would have gone for your morning jog but it's obvious from your clothes that you didn't. In fact, you haven't even changed from last night. That means that you did drink and something terrible happened." She gasped dramatically. "What happened? Is someone dead? Don't tell me…there wasn't a repeat of the _bedroom incident_, was there?"

"No!" Naruto shouted defensively, blushing at the insinuation and the curious look Kabuto gave him. "Nothing like that. I mean…something is wrong but…I-I mean, it's not too bad."

"Bullshit." She said bluntly. "Kabuto, cover for me."

"No can do, Ino." The man said, offering an apologetic look as she glared at him. "Pein was very insistent that I stop covering for you. I'm honestly not willing to risk it and just sit hoping he doesn't find out."

"Fine, then you can tell me here."

"Erm…" Naruto glanced over at Kabuto worriedly, not sure if this was something he wanted to discuss with anyone _except_ Ino. Scratch that- it was definitely not something he wanted anyone but Ino to know.

"Don't worry. Kabuto's the most trustworthy guy when it comes to secrets, he knows most of mine."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah." The grey-haired man chuckled in a way which implied that Ino's secrets were beyond interesting. Either way, Naruto couldn't help but relax. If the great Ino, famous for her mystery, trusted Kabuto so much then surely he could too, right?

"It's about Gaara."

That certainly got both Ino and Kabuto's attention.

"I think I'm starting to…I think I…"

"Say no more." Ino cut in, seeing how uncomfortable the man was. It was painfully obvious what Naruto was trying to say and it was something she had been expecting for the last couple of days. She hadn't expected this conversation to come so soon but she was still well-prepared for it. "Now tell me what happened between you two."

"You just said 'say no more'." Naruto pointed out, cocking an eyebrow.

"Ugh," she rolled her eyes. "just tell me."

"Nothing happened, I just…realized it…"

"So what are you going to do about it?" Kabuto asked, leaning across the desk slightly. The reflection of light off his glasses hid his eyes from view and gave him a rather menacing look but Naruto went on nonetheless.

"I dunno…"

"What do you want to do about it?" Ino cut in, watching as her friend grew more and more uncomfortable from all the questioning. "Truthfully, I mean."

"Well…I don't really know…I mean, what does this make me?" Naruto asked, scrunching his nose up in confusion and inner conflict.

"Ugh, you are such a guy!" Ino said, rolling her eyes at her friend's stupidity. "You start having feelings for someone you like and all you're worried about is slapping labels on yourself."

"It's really confusing, alright?" He whined defensively.

"You're such a baby!" Ino slapped him on the shoulder, ignoring the pout he gave her in return. "Honestly, you're acting like this is the first time you've ever been part of a forbidden love."

"It is," the man muttered, eyes downcast. "Why? You've been part of one before?"

"Oh, please." The woman laughed mockingly. "I've been through more forbidden romances than you've had bowels of ramen." Naruto gaped at her, tilting his head questioningly at the shocking overload of information. "Don't look at me like that, buster. There's a difference between a string of romances and sleeping around. Besides, you're the one thinking of getting down and dirty with your new roommate." She sang teasingly, smiling beautifully.

"Ino, what am I gonna do?" Naruto groaned in desperation.

"Kabuto-honey, can you please give Naruto the sexuality speech?" The woman asked sweetly, glancing over to offer the glasses-wearing man a smile.

"Sure thing," the man said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "When love is based upon an emotional connection rather than just sexual attraction, it often isn't limited to gender. You can still technically be identified as straight but feel a powerful emotional connection to another guy. People are too concerned with labelling themselves to just pursue their feelings. Your feelings for Gaara are currently emotional and will, probably, branch out to sexual soon- if they haven't already. Unless you feel regular physical attraction to other males, I wouldn't start doubting your sexual identity just yet. All this means is that you've found someone you feel a deep connection with who just happens to be male."

"Okay?" Ino added, watching her friend struggle to take in the bombard of information. "You're straight because you're attracted to girls, right?" Naruto nodded thoughtfully. "Kabuto here is gay because he's attracted to guys."

"That's right." The grey-haired man offered in agreement.

"Pein is bi because he's attracted to both girls and guys."

"Pein's bi?!" Naruto yelled in shock. He'd always seen Pein with that blue-haired woman, so the thought of his sexuality had never crossed his mind before. Besides, with someone as authoritative as Pein, it was quite scary to even entertain curiosity regarding that.

"Focus, Naruto!" Ino hit him on the forehead gently to gain his attention again. "But, if Kabuto starts having feelings for me, God-forbid, just because I'm a girl doesn't change the fact he's gay. Having feelings for one girl, me, doesn't change his sexual orientation to bi. Are you starting to understand?"

"I think so…" Naruto mumbled, starting to feel a little better about the whole situation. If what Ino and Kabuto were saying was true and not just made-up bullshit, then the whole thing wasn't such a huge deal after all. He had been worried that this situation changed his whole life and identity and that thought had frightened him. But now he was starting to feel a little silly for panicking so much. Instead of focusing on the fact Gaara was a guy, he should be focusing on the fact that he had feelings for Gaara in the first place. Man, how damn lucky was he to have a friend like Ino?

"Now here's what you've gotta do," the woman began, leaning in to gain Naruto's full attention. "You're gonna go for a jog, have a shower and go talk to Gaara."

"But, Ino…"

"Not buts, Naruto. You're a big boy now and you're perfectly capable of dealing with this sorta thing by yourself. I can't jump in and mother you at every turn."

"Fine…" Naruto groaned, turning to storm out of the office dejectedly. Ino and Kabuto watched him go, both smiling slightly for their own individual reasons.

"You know," Ino said with a sigh. "I could fall for him."

"Yeah…" Kabuto muttered, smirking slightly.

* * *

"Oh, come on!" Naruto hissed under his breath, eyes frantically searching as he ran along the path. "He's gotta be here. He's just gotta be!"

Gaara hadn't been in the room when the blonde had gone back for a shower, and a quick conversation with Omoi confirmed the redhead wasn't attending Philosophy because he was dropping it soon anyway. Naruto could only think of one other place his roommate might be and he was eager to hurry and find him before his sudden rush of courage faded. That was why the blonde had ran out to the tree Gaara had sat beneath to watch the sunrise, hoping beyond all else that the redhead was there. If Naruto wasn't able to track him down in the next five minutes, there was a good chance that the conversation they needed to have would never happen. This was a one-shot kind of thing.

Naruto sighed in relief as he caught sight of the figure under the tree and he couldn't help but grin to himself. Spiky red hair, beautiful pale skin and a tattoo that couldn't be mistaken- it was Gaara alright.

"Gaara!" Naruto shouted, sprinting as quickly as possible over to his roommate. He had to do this now. The redhead turned to look at him, a look of annoyance and hurt crossing his face as he recognised the approaching man. He certainly didn't look happy to see the blonde, clambering to his feet in an attempt to just walk away and avoid the other altogether. But Naruto was too quick and far too determined for that to happen. He came to a stop just in front of his roommate, panting from the exhaustion brought on by running around the college for the last hour. Gaara just shot him a cold glare.

"What do you what, Uzumaki?" He hissed, shoving his hands in his pockets defensively.

"I…you…we…and…Ino said…" Naruto struggled to get his words out between his gasps for air and decided to forget the conversation all together. Actions spoke louder than words anyway. "Fuck it!" He growled, moving forward before he could stop himself to push the redhead against the tree trunk. At first, Gaara took it as a threat and seized up protectively in preparation of a fight but, as Naruto stepped forward into his personal space and rested one hand against the tree beside Gaara's face…it was obvious that fighting wasn't his intention.

"Naruto…?" He murmured questioningly, too shocked by the sudden closeness to do anything else.

"Look…at me…" the blonde growled breathlessly. This time, Gaara didn't mess around. He immediately looked up and made eye contact with his roommate, almost gasping as he stared into those blue orbs. Naruto was looking at him darkly, eyes hooded over in an expression the redhead couldn't read…but it sent shudders throughout his entire body. He'd never seen Naruto so serious and… "Do you trust me?"

"Yes." Gaara suddenly whispered back. His brain didn't even have a chance to intervene.

"Do you like me?"

"Yes."

"In what way?"

"I…dunno…" the redhead mumbled, starting to feel uneasy under that look his roommate was giving him.

"Then you need to push me away if this isn't what you want." Naruto warned quickly, before diving forward to place one simple, chaste kiss on the smaller boy's lips.

'_Shit!'_ Gaara inwardly cursed, placing his hands on the blonde's chest and pushing him away roughly.

He couldn't do this. Naruto was hot, fucking gorgeous actually, and did things to him he'd never experienced before. He was kind, caring and so damn infectiously friendly that he had opened up Gaara's heart more than anyone else. If Gaara were anyone else, he would have grabbed the blonde and had sex with him right then and there (possibly a little too dramatic) but he wasn't…he was Gaara. Gaara didn't offer his heart like that. Gaara didn't allow himself to be vulnerable. Gaara didn't love. Gaara didn't let others love him. Gaara didn't understand trust. Gaara didn't want to be in a relationship of any kind and Gaara most _definitely_ wasn't going to let Naruto's superficial charm change him like that.

"I'm sorry." Naruto mumbled, the look in his eyes fading into one of hurt and guilt as he stepped back. He looked like a kicked puppy and that sight sent a pang of brief remorse through Gaara's heart…but this was for the best. "I'll go."

'_Like I care. If you actually thought I cared about you…get over yourself, Uzumaki.' _The redhead thought bitterly, watching as Naruto turned away dejectedly and moved to walk away from him. This was it. Naruto was going to leave and they'd never speak of this again. Tomorrow the awkwardness and tension would force them to request a change of rooming arrangements and soon Gaara would have a different, less annoying roommate. He'd never have to see or hear from Naruto again. They'd never cross paths ever again. Gaara would complete college without a single encounter with this _idiot_ and then go back to his dull, boring and empty life in Sunagakure like nothing had changed. His life would be the same and that's how he liked it. He'd stay guarded and isolated for his own good.

'_So…why…?'_ Gaara silently questioned, reaching forward to grasp the retreating blonde by the wrist. _'Why can't I just let you go?'_ He stared into those questioning, blue eyes and felt his defences crumble. He knew what was best for himself- to let Naruto leave and never see him again. But he just couldn't do it.

"Gaara?"

"Fucking idiot!" Gaara hissed angrily, stepping forward to place his lips back on the blonde's as quickly as he possibly could.

* * *

_This moment is perfect,_

_Please don't go away._

* * *

**A/N:**** Well? What did you all think?**

**I spent a while trying to think about how Naruto and Gaara would make their feelings known whilst staying realistic according to their individual personalities. This is the answer I came up with. I could just imagine Naruto, after finally realising, rushing up and doing something so instinctive and impulsive but I couldn't imagine Gaara just melting into the kiss and accepting it right away. It was obvious to me that Gaara would first try and reject Naruto and distance himself from him but that he wouldn't be able to follow through. And that's what led to the second kiss.**

**So, what did everyone think of this chapter in particular? I think it turned out alright in the end.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	11. Opportunities

**A/N:**** So, the chapter after the first kiss is always the hardest one to get out. The urge to instantly rush into a wonderful romance must be stamped out by cold realism. Things don't progress that quickly after all.**

**I also ask that you offer me some suspension of disbelief in regards to the politics of this fictional college. Different colleges organise their student unions/governments in different ways and for those familiar with the process, you will notice a mixture of different systems. The way I've organised it isn't completely made-up but isn't necessarily 100% realistic either. That's all. **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

**Opportunities**

Ino had to blink several times in surprise as the orange-haired man strolled into the office to greet them. It wasn't often one saw Pein outside of the Student Union building unless he was attending his courses or doing one of his charity events. If any business needed attending to, Pein would often organise matters behind the scenes and send the Vice President- Konan- to deal with it directly. And yet, there he was, so early in the morning.

"Pein, what a surprise!" Ino offered a tentative smile, briefly worried that she had done something wrong. However, the small smile the pierced man shot her way helped soothe her and confirmed that this was a pleasant visit. The relief she felt was indescribable. She exchanged looks with Kabuto, silently thanking him for refusing to cover for her a little while ago. If she had left with Naruto she would be completely busted right now.

"Good morning." Pein said, resting on the desk casually as he looked between the both of them. "I trust everything's going well this morning?"

"The office work is almost completed for the day." Kabuto said.

"That's good but I meant personally."

"Oh," the silver-haired man was taken aback by the sudden friendliness of their President but smiled nonetheless. "We're both doing well, thank you."

"Good." Pein smiled a little. "I actually came here to make an announcement regarding a position which recently opened up on the Student Union."

"Chief Justice?" Kabuto asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"You are well-informed." The pierced man shot him a look, slightly suspicious of Kabuto's knowledge on such a private matter, but chose to overlook it. "Our former Chief Justice decided to step down from the position due to 'personal issues.' As President, it falls upon me to choose who will take his place for this year. I've decided to give the position to one of you."

Both Ino and Kabuto stared at him blankly for a moment, each of them holding different expressions on their faces, before Ino spoke up.

"Isn't the Chief Justice normally elected?" The woman asked, slightly baffled by the news. She glanced over at Kabuto, confused to find he looked completely cool about the whole thing- like he'd known it was coming.

"The last one was but, with him stepping down so suddenly, it was decided that my judgment would be trusted on this matter." The pierced man explained, glancing between the two of them again. "Either one of you would be a worthy candidate for the position. You're both very knowledgeable when it comes to the college's code of conduct and its expectations. You're also both experienced members of the Student Union and, as far as I'm concerned, more than capable of maintaining the position as well as your work as students."

"Your belief in us is flattering," Ino said with a smile. "I always knew you appreciated me."

"Well, being involved in cases of academic and non-academic misconduct isn't an easy job and the responsibility of potentially being part of the expulsion process for code-breaking peers can be overbearing." Pein pointed out. "But the two of you are well-suited for the job. As such, I will be expecting your individual applications for the position by the end of the day. A final decision will be made based upon your applications on Friday. Any questions?"

"Sounds good to me," Ino smiled over at her colleague. "Guess it's a little competition between us, right Kabuto?"

"Certainly." He said, a strange smirk on his face.

"Healthy competition between fellow Union members is always beneficial," Pein said, turning to make his leave. "but remember that you're both part of a team, regardless of who gets the position. I wouldn't want this to come between you two. Have a good day." They both watched the President as he headed out to the Student Union building with smiles on their faces,

"No way will this come between us. No hard-feelings when I win, okay?" Ino said, shooting the grey-haired man a cheeky wink.

"Back at you." Kabuto sneered, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose with a barely-repressed chuckle.

'_Personal issues, huh? I'm a little disappointed that was the best he could come up with to Pein but I suppose I didn't pay that idiot to be creative. Guess all I have to do is convince Pein I'm the better candidate and then the position will be mine.'_ Kabuto chuckled to himself. _'Good luck when that happens, Gaara.'_

Kabuto's grin widened uncontrollably as he slipped behind a stack of papers- hiding his expression of glee room the woman opposite him. His plan may be too convoluted or dramatic, but he knew it would work perfectly.

* * *

Naruto slowly pulled away, confusion and hesitance shimmering in the depths of his blue eyes. He really did wear his heart on his sleeve, something which both irritated and fascinated Gaara. But the redhead didn't have time to be either, not with the tension between them soaring to unbelievable heights. The kiss had lasted only a second and had been more of head-butt-like-attack than anything pleasant…but its meaning hadn't changed at all. Effectively, Gaara had just not only admitted his feelings, but shown the desire to follow through with those feelings. That thought was scary and frightening but…for some reason, Gaara was feeling rather calm. His head was still getting round the fact that the blonde idiot had kissed him _first_, completely erasing the chance of rejection.

"I…" Gaara began, trailing off as his eyes glanced down at Naruto's wrist- of which he still had hold of. Feeling suddenly shy, the redhead uncurled his fingers and withdrew his hand. He couldn't believe he'd been so impulsive, but part of him had just stopped caring…or started caring, depending on how you looked at it.

Once he looked back up, Gaara was treated to a wonderful sight. Naruto's confused and unsure expression slowly morphed into a small and tentative smile before growing into a massive grin. The blonde beamed at him, eyes sparkling in the light and teeth fully on display as the situation hit him.

"You kissed me." He stated bluntly, not as a question nor as a pondering thought, but as a cock-sure and confident statement. Gaara would have normally found both that grin and Naruto's cockiness irritating but…these circumstances were different- he could afford to be a little lenient.

"You kissed me first, Uzumaki." The redhead hissed back lamely, not sure how a person was supposed to respond after just slapping their lips onto their roommate's.

"Yeah," the blonde murmured, stepping a little closer. "I guess I did."

"Why?" Gaara asked suddenly, trying his best to make it sound like an accusation rather than a self-doubting search for answers. He could tell from the way Naruto's features softened that he had failed.

"Because I think…" he shook his head, proceeding to correct himself. "I _know_ that I kinda…like you that way." The blonde nodded, pleased with his correction, as he reached up to scratch the back of his own head. "I don't really understand how a straight guy can _like_ another dude but…Ino said it was possible and I can't deny it. You're special to me, Gaara."

"I…am…?" the redhead stared back questioningly, slightly suspicious of his roommate's confession and annoyed that Naruto had been discussing him with his friend, but still slightly elated to hear the final confession.

"Yup." Naruto said back confidently, not a single tremor of doubt in his tone.

"…" Gaara simply had nothing left to say. He couldn't question Naruto, not after hearing the confidence his voice had carried. It was like when the blonde had ordered him to not leave the room the night before- there was something which _forced_ Gaara to comply and accept it. But still…he had no idea what else he could possibly say. He'd never been in this situation before; he'd never bothered sharing his own emotions before. But he _had_ stopped Naruto from leaving, against all better judgement, and kissed him back. It was something he had to accept. Naruto was different…Naruto was special to him too.

"So…" the blonde began, dropping his hand back to his side as he stared into his roommate's eyes fiercely. "I guess you and I are going out to dinner tonight."

"That was an odd way of asking," the tattooed teen pointed out, hiding the way his heart fluttered behind a façade of aggression. The aggression, however, melted away as Naruto stepped into his personal space with a grin on his handsome face. He softly brushed the tip of his nose against Gaara's, never breaking eye contact, causing the redhead to gulp.

"I wasn't asking…" Naruto whispered, his breath ghosting over the redhead's twitching lips. They were so close they could kiss…_again_. "because I _know_ that you would secretly like to go to dinner with me. So even if you said no, I'd keep asking again and again until you said yes."

Despite the situation, Gaara was still able to roll his eyes at his roommate's persistent and 'don't-take-no-as-an-answer' attitude and, in a way, that comforted him. It meant that, despite what had just happened, nothing had changed between them. They were still Naruto Uzumaki and Gaara Subaku. They still had the same personalities. They still had the same experience with one another. It proved that this was a beginning, not an ending. They weren't losing what they had had up until now; they were gaining a new angle to their relationship. That was…uplifting…

"Fine, I'll go." Gaara whispered back, rolling his eyes back to make eye contact. It was still uncomfortable, but far easier to gaze into those blue depths than it had been before. "As long as you don't do anything cliché and embarrassing."

"Like buy you flowers?" The blonde suggested with a chuckle, leaning a little closer.

"Buy me flowers, Uzumaki, and I will destroy them petal-by-petal."

"Wow…that's just mean…" Naruto pouted with his lips but his eyes were smiling. He was enjoying the fact that nothing had changed as well. It would have been awkward if they had shifted into some weird and creepy lovey dovey mode. This was better. "I'll just have to charm you some other way then."

"I'm not a girl." The redhead reminded him coldly, watching as Naruto stepped back and cocked an eyebrow- an amused smirk playing on his luscious lips.

"I had kinda noticed, Gaara. I don't think you appreciate how difficult it's been for me to come to terms with this."

"My heart weeps for you." Gaara muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Hey, Gaara?" The blonde began, smiling just a little. "You _really_ like me, huh?"

"Sure," the redhead mumbled, looking away as he started heading toward the building.

"Like 'please-take-me-right-here-against-this-tree' like me?"

'_Uzumaki…'_ Gaara bowed his head to hide the blush that had risen to his cheeks, storming off in embarrassment and irritation. Things may not have changed hugely between them but…now Naruto was able to one-up Gaara whenever he needed to…and something about the blonde idiot's grin made it obvious he was going to enjoy it.

* * *

"Hey!" Ino called, strolling over to the two young men gracefully with an all-knowing and satisfied smirk on her lips. The way they were walking so close together, the slight flush on Gaara's face- it told her all she needed to know about how Naruto's little confession had gone. It was cute, bless them. "Naruto, Gaara," she greeted, smiling at the redhead's poor attempts to stealthily slip away from his roommate to avoid suspicion. As if that would get past her! "I have something I need your help with."

"Er…" Naruto began lamely, glancing between Gaara and the woman, "don't you wanna know about…" he trailed off awkwardly, eyes shifting to the redhead in suggestion.

"Yeah, yeah. You admitted your feelings, Gaara reciprocated, you shared a kiss or two and now you're headed back to your room to do God-knows-what." Both Naruto and Gaara blushed profusely at that, though the blonde took it more in his stride than his poor roommate. Gaara wasn't used to Ino yet, or her powers of knowing _everything_ so it was harder for him not to splutter at her words. "Anyway, there's something far more important than that."

"What?" Naruto asked curiously.

"What word would you use to describe me- dynamic or vibrant?" Her odd question, bigged up as being hugely 'important', certainly got her some looks from both of the men. All she did was give them a stern glance which said, 'what? It _is_ important.'

"Don't they basically mean the same thing?" Gaara muttered, narrowing his glare ever-so-slightly.

"Yes, I know that." She countered, rolling her eyes. "I need to know which one sounds better on paper; I'm not disputing the meaning."

"I…er…you…" the blonde man stuttered, still totally lost at the line of questioning. A second ago he'd been focused entirely on his roommate, only to have Ino interrupt him.

"Dynamic sounds better to me." Gaara interrupted, deciding it best to cut Naruto's rambling short. "Why?"

"How nice of you to ask, Gaara." Ino said sweetly, shooting a disappointed look Naruto's way as she did. "I'm actually being considered as this college's next Chief Justice."

"Chief Justice, huh?" The redhead echoed, genuinely impressed. He'd never thought a woman like Ino, despite her powerful presence and confidence, would be the kind to take up such position in something like a college structure.

"Is that really your kinda thing?" Naruto asked, cocking his head slightly.

"Are you kidding?" She shot back. "Holding power and control over the fate of my fellow students whilst also having time to stay looking this damn good? I thought you knew me better than that, Naruto." It was said half-jokingly, with just a hint of teasing beneath the surface. Gaara liked this woman- she was witty and constructive. "I've just gotta convince Pein of my awesomeness and the position is all mine."

"Doesn't he already know how awesome you are?" Naruto asked with a grin, trying to get back some brownie-points.

"Please, it takes even more than _my_ good looks and charm to get that guy to back me up," she groaned, rolling her eyes. "I suppose the challenge is refreshing…I wonder if he's any good in bed." Ino said the last part with a sneer, eyes darting to Naruto's scrunched up face as she said it. She'd gotten the reaction she wanted.

"I really don't wanna think about Pein in bed right now."

"Afraid the image will ruin your time?" Ino said, cocking an eyebrow.

"Ino…" the blonde man groaned.

"It's alright, I can see you have your hands full…and I know they'll be full of something else later on." It was the wink that did it. The wink directed at the both of them which earned a pair of blushes. Gaara wasn't used to any innuendo, having heard very little before joining the college, and certainly didn't like it when _he_ was the subject. Naruto, however, was more embarrassed on Gaara's behalf. "Oh, and Gaara?"

"Hm?"

"When you can spare a minute, there's this story about Naruto that you just _have_ to hear. I call it the _bedroom incident_ and you will honestly piss your panties when you find ou-"

"Alright, you need to leave, Ino." Naruto barked suddenly, lunging forward to spin her by the shoulders and send her on her way. "Like, _now_." His face was unbelievably flushed at this point; horrified at the prospect that Gaara might learn such a horrid truth.

"Hey, I didn't just come to ask you about words, you know."

"Bye, Ino." Naruto stressed, nudging her slightly.

"Fine, fine." She muttered in defeat, starting to head away with a satisfied smile. "By the way, Kabuto wants to see you tomorrow morning, Gaara."

Great…just great…

* * *

"My application, as you requested." Kabuto said with a smile, placing the folder down on the desk in front of the Student President. Pein glanced at it, before looking up at the silver-haired man with a cocked eyebrow. He seemed sceptical, like he was suspicious of Kabuto, but shrugged it off nonetheless.

"I didn't expect it so soon. I did give you until the end of the day, after all."

"Well, my quick-thinking and motivation to act swiftly are traits you'll find listed in my application as some of my good qualities." Kabuto smirked, straightening up under Pein's watchful gaze. "Just a few reasons why I should be named Chief Justice."

"I believe you'll find that's _my_ call to make." The orange-haired man reminded him curtly, picking up the folder to briefly look it over. "Still, I'll make sure to look over your application with great interest. I don't take decisions like this one lightly. The position of Chief Justice is a key one in our college community and I will not settle for anything less than the best."

"Of course."

"On another note, I couldn't help but sense some tension between you and Naruto's new roommate at the collection yesterday. Anything I should be aware of?" Pein glanced up at him with an expectant look.

"Gaara? Oh, he and I just got off on the wrong foot," Kabuto explained with a smile. "He isn't the most sociable of people so I think my offer of friendship may have rubbed him the wrong way. That's all."

"That so?" The Student President didn't seem entirely convinced as he dropped the folder back onto the desk and continued to stare at the other. Kabuto showed no signs of cracking under the pressure.

"However, I'm optimistic that he and I will become good friends soon. I happen to believe that we have quite a bit in common."

"Oh, is he a sly bookworm too?" Pein asked with a chuckle.

"You're too cruel, Pein. You know I have nothing but the upmost respect for you." The orange-haired President scoffed lowly before gesturing for Kabuto to leave. "Fine, I'll go. I can see you're busy." Kabuto said with a smile. "But you're not going to let your dislike of me influence your decision on Friday, right?"

"Nonsense." Pein muttered, shooting the other a warning gaze. "I would never allow personal feelings to get in the way of something so important. As President, it is my duty to ensure the efficiency and stability of this college. I'm not fond of the current treasurer, yet I still chose him because he was the best candidate." The orange-haired male looked annoyed and once again gestured for Kabuto to leave.

This time, the new candidate did so silently.

* * *

"You're serious?" Gaara muttered, staring blankly at the blonde.

"Yeah," Naruto said, scratching the back of his head as his roommate's stare bore into him. "there's a basketball game on this afternoon. I promised to play and I don't wanna show up the guys on my course so soon. So…I guess I'll see you for dinner tonight."

"…" Gaara considered throwing it in Naruto's face but he knew perfectly well he would never be able to do that. The blonde had invited him out to dinner that night, which meant a whole day had to pass by before that point. Perhaps it was best that Naruto had somewhere else to be. Being stuck near each other for the whole day before they went out and set any foundation would just be…awkward. And Gaara needed some time to think things through. It wasn't everyday he was kissed and then kissed in returned. It wasn't everyday someone so…irritating…forced their way into his life. Still, he couldn't help but smile a little when Naruto leant in and pecked him on the lips before heading off to his game.

Denial had long been out of the question and the option of distancing himself from his roommate wasn't a realistic one. So, perhaps just this once, Gaara could go with it. If it all went horribly wrong then he could deal with it the same way he had dealt with everything…but if it went amazingly good…well, he couldn't even begin to imagine. He was gonna give the damn Uzumaki a chance but he was going to keep realistic expectations whilst heading into it. This wasn't some sickeningly runaway romance, this was Gaara's life. If Naruto wanted a part of that he'd have to earn it.

But still…maybe this would be a nice change…

* * *

**A/N:**** So, not much progression on the relationship front but I suppose that's what the next chapter is for. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this chapter nonetheless. **


End file.
